Triple disappointment for French tennis. The three tricolor representatives of the day were eliminated on Saturday, September 3, in the third round of the US Open in New York. Alizé Cornet is the one who can harbor the most regrets after her very committed match against the American Danielle Collins. Clara Burel and Richard Gasquet were literally swept away respectively by Aryna Sabalenka and Rafael Nadal.
Cornet comes out with a record
The New York adventure ends with a touch of bitterness for Alizé Cornet. The 40e world was eliminated in two tight sets (6-4, 7-6 [11/9]) by American Danielle Collins (19e) who had already put an end at the start of the season to the most beautiful course of the Frenchwoman in Grand Slam, in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
“Alizé was playing very well, she pushed me to the limit, I needed a strong mind to beat her. When you look at Alizé, she always fights, her game of anticipation is one of the best on the circuit., commented Danielle Collins. At 28, the American had never passed the third round of the New York Major, but she reached the final in Melbourne at the start of the year.
The match against Cornet was very balanced, between two surly players who put all their strength into almost each of their shots. The American scored the break in the first set to break away 3-2 and was not caught again.
In the second round, each player kept her face-off until the tie-break. Alizé Cornet got three balls to equalize at one set everywhere, but it was finally Danielle Collins who concluded on her second match point.
Alizé Cornet leaves New York after a new record of 63 appearances in a row at Grand Slam tournaments, improving the one she co-held since Wimbledon with the Japanese Ai Sugiyama.
Powerless Burel and Gasquet
Clara Burel’s superb career came to an abrupt end on Saturday evening against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (6e) which swept the French, 131e world and from qualifying, in two quick sets (6-0, 6-2).
At 21, the Frenchwoman took part in her second New York Major (elimination in the first round in 2021) and equaled her best Grand Slam result, already achieved at Roland-Garros in 2020. This season, she was eliminated at the first round of the first three Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon).
For his part, Richard Gasquet came close to corrections in the face of Hurricane Rafael Nadal. After two bumpy first rounds, the Spaniard picked up the pace against the Frenchman and won 6-0, 6-1, 7-5, inflicting his favorite victim his 18e defeat in as many confrontations.
If Gasquet was able to score six games in this meeting, it was at the cost of a last stand in the third set, during which he finally let go of his shots. Nadal, who finally saw a bit of adversity manifest itself, made sure not to let Gasquet have hopes of a comeback.
“It’s my best game of the tournament, there have been a lot of improvements, I’ve raised my level of play, it’s important”underlined the Majorcan, who wants to bring his record of Grand Slam titles to twenty-three and will have as his opponent in the next round the American Frances Tiafoe (26e).
There are only two French representatives left for the second week in New York. Among the women, Caroline Garcia (17e world), in very good shape, will face, in the round of 16, the American Alison Riske (29e). For men, Corentin Moutet, 112e world and drafted qualifications, will not have the easy task. For his first round of 16 of a Major, he will challenge the Norwegian Casper Ruud (5e), finalist at the last Roland-Garros.