Roland Garros Open 2008
May 25, 2008
In French Open 2008 tennis at Roland Garros, France’s hopes rest on Alizé Cornet, 18
As a series of injuries, meltdowns and forfeits plague the French veteran tennis stars Richard Gasquet, Marion Bartoli, Gaël Monfils, Amélie Mauresmo, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tatiana Golovin at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros, the nation’s chances for victory at home fade. The only ray of hope for the French is being offered by a past junior champion just 18 years old, Alizé Cornet.
France and the world began to take real notice of Cornet at Roland Garros on Thursday when she beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, 5th female player in the world, (6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour 14 minutes). Cornet then caught a break from the forfeit of Serena Williams Friday in the quarter-finals. Then on Saturday, the young French player trounced the number 8 in the world, another Russian, Anna Chakvetadze (3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour 41 minutes).
Against Chakvetadze, Alizé Cornet had a rough start. Tense and anxious, Cornet committed one fault after another. Later Cornet cited her fear of facing a top 10 player (Cornet herself came into Roland Garros at number 34) and of looking ridiculous as France and the world looked on. But in a display of mental toughness beyond her years, last year’s junior champ found her stride and battled back to win, stunning Chakvetadze and delighting the French hometown Roland Garros crowd.
Facing Jelena Janovic in the finals at Roland Garros, Alizé Cornet would make only her second appearance in a pro tennis final since her debut, while Janovic, 23, reaches for her 6th career win.
On the men’s side, France’s slim Roland Garros hopes rest on Gilles Simon, 29th in the world and winner last saturday of the Tournament of Casablanca, and on the return of Julien Benneteau, quarterfinalist in 2006.
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