Back on the courts after announcing her retirement last year, Alizé Cornet, 35, did not disappoint against Hungarian Anna Bondár in the first round of the WTA 1000 Rome qualifiers. The player from Nice was defeated in two closely contested sets (6-4, 6-4), but not without showing promising sequences.
The start of the match was ideal for AlizéCornet. Driven by strong aggression on the return and a solid serve, she quickly gained the upper hand on her opponent, breaking immediately to lead 4-1. At that moment, she was dictating the play, stringing together winning shots on both the forehand and backhand, and preventing Anna Bondár from establishing her rhythm-based game centered on consistency and cadenced rallies.
However, this positive momentum gradually stalled. The Hungarian player, ranked 89th in the WTA rankings and winner of the ITF tournament in Wiesbaden last week, tightened her game at the right moment, taking advantage of a few unforced errors from the player from Nice to catch up and then overtake in a one-sided end to the first set (4-6).
In the second set, the scenario was reversed. More passive, Alizé Cornet allowed Anna Bondár to take control of the rallies. Although she managed to break back at 1-2 in a fiercely contested fourth game, she immediately lost her serve again, missing the opportunity to revive the match.
Frustrated by a few mistakes but generally combative, Alizé Cornet never gave up. And while the defeat is there, it confirms that her return to the circuit, recently marked by two victories at the Challenger de Bisbal d’Empordà, is more than just a swan song.
She will need a bit more rhythm and endurance to reach her full potential, but in Rome, the player from Nice proved she still has her place on the professional circuit.
