Caroline Garcia did not drag to finish the job: two sets (6-2, 6-3) and 1 hour and 22 minutes of play to overcome the Dutch Lesley Kerkhove. The victory of the Lyonnaise, this Saturday, November 12 at Portel, in Pas-de-Calais, allows France to win the play-off in the Billie Jean King Cup, the international tennis team competition, against the Netherlands. (3-0).
The world number 4 made its power speak to get rid of the Dutch number 1, which only points to 207e rank in the WTA rankings but put up a good resistance. It enhanced the successes obtained Friday by Alizé Cornet and Diane Parry to allow the Bleues to keep their place in the world elite.
“On the one hand, it was a bit difficult [d’enchaîner], but, on the other hand, it was simpler, because I had joined my girlfriends from the France team and I wanted to help them by bringing a point. It was a new challenge, we had to be present from the first to the last point for this last match of the season in front of the French public.explained the person concerned, spared, Friday, a few days after her coronation at the Masters, a tournament bringing together the eight best players of the season.
“The energy, I didn’t have to look far with all the positive emotions I had at the Masters. I just wanted to join the France team, to recover. I was so happy to be able to play today, I wanted to do well to help the team. »
” It is a relief “
Caroline Garcia delivered a solid match: eighteen winners, nine aces, and four break points saved out of the four conceded. But she also lacked efficiency, converting only three of her twelve break points. Above all, she totaled 33 unforced errors, allowing her opponent to stay in the game.
Even if the Dutch hung on, she ended up laying down her arms after 1 hour and 22 minutes of play against the superiority of the French, who recorded her 19e success in twenty-six games in the competition.
“It’s a satisfaction to stay in the world group, that was the goal, it’s a relief too. I’m happy to have won this meeting and the way that all the girls lined up in singles have answered present “, underlined the captain of the Blue, Julien Benneteau. And he adds: “You have to have big ambitions for this French team, because we have very good players. »
Maintained in the world group, the Tricolores will try in April 2023 to win their ticket for the final phase of the Billie Jean King Cup, which they won for the last time in 2019 in Australia. They will know their opponent on Sunday for the first round, scheduled for next spring.
