By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday, July 2, 2022
Belief triggered Alizé Cornet’s latest Grand Slam masterpiece.
The 32-year-old Frenchwoman, who this year tied the record for most consecutive Grand Slam main draws played by a women with 62 at Wimbledon, is making her 2022 campaign count. She said she believed that she could be the one to end Iga Swiatek’s monumental winning streak, because she sensed that the Pole was struggling to find comfort on the grass.
Cornet, who has been known for big upsets and once knocked World No.1 Serena Williams out of Wimbledon in the third round in 2014, is a magnet for drama and a master of the shocker.
“I had this belief for a few days already,” Cornet told reporters on Saturday. “After I won my second round, I knew that I would probably play against Iga. I kept telling myself, ‘Well, the streak'- I was telling myself someone would have to break the streak eventually, and why not me?’”
It's no secret that Cornet was vulnerable this week at SW19. Let’s face it the Pole just could not be her dominant, world-beating self on her least familiar surface. She isn’t the first, and she won’t be the last, to struggle in Wimbledon’s lush lawn.
Time will tell if she masters for the surface. But time was on Cornet's side today.
“I thought that here was the best chance for me to do it,” Cornet said. “Maybe it was her less good surface. She's so good on clay court and hard court. And grass, you know, I knew I had a little opportunity to do something. I knew I had to play a very solid match. I think that's what I did today.
“The belief was there since the beginning. I think it's very important to have that, otherwise you stand no chance in front of this kind of player.”
A Brilliant 2022
Cornet has had a surprisingly good year at the age of 32. At the Australian Open she defeated Simona Halep to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
There in Melbourne, she was rewarded for her perseverance when she set the record for most majors played before reaching a quarterfinal in the history of the Open Era; the previous record had been set at 54 by fellow French player Fabrice Santoro.
Apparently it didn't satisfy her.
She will face Ajla Tomljanovic in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, as she hunts for her second career major quarterfinal.
“I'm actually pretty surprised that I'm doing my best year in slam ever,” Cornet said. “I've never played so good in slam than this year. It's very surprising. I didn't expect that.
“Of course, it means a lot. It also maybe means that I'm more mature, I'm just better mentally to handle these kind of situations. I'm just very motivated each time I go on the court at a slam, particularly this year for some reason. It's working. I don't know. The piece of the puzzle are just going together. I'm having a lot of fun. I think I'm also taking a little more distance from everything. It helps me a lot to just be better on the court and be the best version of myself, I guess. I don't know.”