After an easy victory the day before, the Nice native, Alizé Cornet, was defeated by the Spaniard Paula Badosa Gibert (6-4, 6-4) in the second round of Abu Dhabi.
A short appearance and then she’s out! After a straightforward win against the Greek, Valentini Grammatikopoulou (6-2, 6-2), ranked 269th in the world, Alizé Cornet could not match up to Paula Badosa Gibert. A loss in two sets (6-4, 6-4) against an opponent who is admittedly less comfortable on “hard” surfaces. Against the world number 70, the Frenchwoman never gained the upper hand over Paula Badosa Gibert. Solid from the back of the court, consistent, and opportunistic, the Spaniard logically won the match. Despite an impressive first serve percentage (72%), Alizé Cornet exits the Abu Dhabi tournament through the small door.
Eyes set on Melbourne
Despite a lackluster start to the year, Alizé Cornet will fly to Melbourne to compete in a WTA 500 tournament. The goal for the coming weeks is obviously the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, which will start from February 8th.
