No.3 seed Alizé Cornet advanced to her first final of the season after defeating No.2 seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Jasmin Open Monastir. Cornet will face either Elise Mertens or Claire Liu in the final.
Cornet is bidding to win her first title since 2018 Gstaad and her first on a hard court since 2016 Hobart. A late wildcard into the tournament, No.37 Cornet advanced to her first final since 2021 Chicago without losing a set, beating Laura Pigossi, Harriet Dart, Tamara Zidansek, and Kudermetova.
After falling behind a quick 2-0 in the first set, Cornet reeled in Kudermetova with her physical work behind the baseline. Ranked No.12 and in the hunt for a qualifying position at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Kudermetova was bidding to advance to her fourt final of the season. But she could overcome her own frailties, particularly on the forehand side, giving away 50 unforced errors to 20 winners in the two-set match.
In the face of Kudermetova’s erratic play, Cornet stayed focused and solid to keep the pressure on. While Kudermetova generated 11 break points, she converted just twice. Cornet was far more poised, breaking on four of her nine break points. The Frenchwoman finished the match with eight winners to 24 unforced errors.
“It was a bit windy,” Mertens said. “I think I handled the conditions a bit better. She was maybe rushing a little bit into her shots sometimes. She had so many break points and I think I was mentally really solid. I served well each time, really solid. I could count on my legs.”
More to follow….
News Summary:
- Cornet topples Kudermetova to stay perfect in Monastir
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