Continuation and end of the Norman adventure for Alizé Cornet. The last French representative in the running at the Open de Rouen, the Niçois was up against the young Russian Erika Andreeva.
The task promised to be tough this Saturday afternoon. After having contested three grueling matches, Alizé Cornet was back on the court facing an opponent whose future looks bright. Erika Andreeva (19 years old, ranked 166th in the world) turned professional in 2020. While her 2023 season has had its ups and downs, she remains a formidable opponent.
This was evident right from the start of the match. By alternating between short and long play, the Russian quickly put Alizé Cornet in difficulty. Her ability to gain the upper hand during exchanges left the Frenchwoman perplexed. Struggling with her footwork, the player from Nice was certainly paying for her last three extended matches. On her side, Erika Andreeva executed her game plan successfully with decisive net approaches.
At the end of the set, the player from Nice began to get a sense of her opponent and gradually clawed her way back into the match with energy. But fatigue reappeared during long rallies. She could not keep up with the pace and conceded the first set (6-3).
No exploit for Alizé Cornet
In the second set, fatigue and frustration took over Alizé Cornet. Unable to withstand the pressure exerted by the young Russian on her service, the Niçois faltered. Thanks to her persistent determination combined with the support of the crowd wanting to see more, Alizé Cornet managed to break back at (1-1). However, Erika Andreeva stopped making errors. The games went by logically. At (5-1), there was hope for a comeback like the day before against Nuria Parrizas-Diaz. But her legs were no longer up to it. Despite saving two match points, Alizé Cornet’s Norman week ended in the semifinals. Final score (6-3/6-1) in 1 hour and 29 minutes of play.
