Alizé Cornet is part of the French team for the Billie Jean King Cup this week. Facing Martina Trevisan, the player from Nice had a tough challenge ahead for her debut.
This week, twelve teams are competing in the Billie Jean King Cup in Seville. In Group D, the French team must first face Italy and then Germany on Friday. Selected by captain Julien Benneteau, Alizé Cornet had the responsibility of opening the competition this morning.
Against Martina Trevisan (world ranked 43rd, 30 years old), who is having an inconsistent season, the match promised to be balanced. Slightly tense at the start, the player from the Cote d’Azur made several minor errors that cost her the first game. On the other side, the Florence native struggled with her serve. Two double faults later, Alizé Cornet easily leveled the score at (1-1). Trevisan’s serving woes continued throughout the first set. With only 57% of first serves in and especially 33% of points won on her first serve, Martina Trevisan stood no chance. Meanwhile, the Frenchwoman established her game by combining drop shots and down-the-line winners. This variation allowed France to lead one set to zero (6-2).
A Frustration That Costs Alizé Cornet Dearly
The start of the second set followed a similar pattern. Breaks were exchanged thanks to quality returns from both sides. However, an incident disrupted the match. In the fifth game, the chair umpire overturned a call made by the line judge at (30-30), giving Martina Trevisan a new break point. On the next point, Alizé Cornet lost her serve without being able to challenge due to a technical issue. This incident frustrated the player from Nice. It was the moment when the Italian finally won her first service game of the match. Afterward, the player from the Cote d’Azur lost her footing. She committed a series of unforced and double faults. The match was leveled at one set all (2-6).
Looking physically challenged, Alizé Cornet left the court before the deciding set. The opening points were tough, but the player from Nice hung on and saved three break points early. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Increasingly solid in play, Martina Trevisan confirmed her break to advance and lead (3-0). Alizé Cornet fought back, hoping to recover a break deficit. Clearly not at her best, the Frenchwoman made too many unforced errors (16) in crucial moments. More aggressive and with restored confidence, Martina Trevisan took the third set (6-2) and the match (2-6/6-2/6-2) in 2 hours and 16 minutes.
A disappointment for the French team, especially since a few hours later, Caroline Garcia (world ranked 20th, 30 years old) also lost her match. The French team now faces a tough challenge and must achieve a complete victory against Germany to have a chance of advancing from the group stage.
