Pauline Parmentier failed to replicate her 2011 performance, the year she reached the Open final. Tatjana Maria, who defeated the Frenchwoman, will face her compatriot Carina Witthoeft for the title on Sunday.
Pauline Parmentier and Tatjana Maria gave no quarter today. The battle between the two players lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes. Everything seemed to be going well for the Frenchwoman, who, relying on a devastating forehand, quickly secured the first set 6-2.
The second set was heading the same way, with an early break by the Nordiste. She even had the opportunity to increase her lead further, but on a double break point, she missed a smash that seemed to pose no challenge.
The match then turned, and little by little, the German got her game into place and took the upper hand. While Pauline Parmentier only managed to convert 31% of her break points, her opponent was able to seize the opportunities. Despite the fatigue, she managed to win the 2nd and 3rd sets with the same score (6-4) to qualify for the final.
Top seed Carina Witthoeft, although she dropped a set along the way, continues to impress. Facing the Dutch Kiki Bertens, a Roland-Garros quarter-finalist, this Saturday, she started the match at full throttle and won the first set 6-1.
At the beginning of the 2nd set, with the score at one game all, she missed the chance to break her opponent and take the lead. This missed opportunity lingered in her mind and destabilized her, leading her to lose the set to the Dutchwoman (6-1).
But in the final act, she bounced back, benefiting from Kiki Bertens’s clumsiness caused by too many unforced errors, to win the match (6-1 1-6 6-1).
The final will be played at 3 PM.
by Laurence Andreoletti
