“I need to process…” France’s Alize Cornet, shook her head in disbelief after winning in straight sets over the WTA no. 1 player in the world, Iga Swiatek. The Polish 21-year-old woman hada 37-winning streak going on but maybe didn’t phantom that this place and this person would have taken her down and in straight sets, too.
Swiatek’s opponent had a winning situation going on here at Wimbledon as from the first set on, Alize Cornet has won both rounds without dropping a set. She’s also had a greater time playing on grass, whereas Swiatek hadn’t had any warm up grass tournament and came into Wimbledon cold.
The Pole has managed nicely to win six straight titles since February. “It could be the surface or just fatigue,” Tennis Channel’s commentator and former player Lindsay Davenport commented on Swiatek’s defeat.
“Today wasn’t her day,” even Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman summed it up. Things had taken a drastic change for both players. Cornet is getting her game together and feeling very confident with the crowds support.
“She knows the game inside and out,” Multi grand slam, commentator and former player Martina Navritilova mentioned. Cornet was playing surperb and no one could deny that. She’d only had 7 unforced errors through the entire game and was simply on a roll.
The Frenchwoman also has skills that at times is taken for granted. “She used her experience, she used her variety,” Davenport further said. In order to defeat one’s opponent is probably will always take variety, change ups to throw a competitor offtheir rhythm.
Cornet surely did that to Iga Swiatek’s game sending the Frenchwoman into the fourth round of the grassy event for the first time in eight years. “The pressure of keeping that winning streak going…” ESPN commentator and former player Mary Jo Fernandez analyzed Swiatek’s mental ability going into this tournament.
Swiatek is a fighter but she might have had too many tangibles to get through in this third round. Commentator and former player, Alexandra Stevenson simply said that “I think she lost a little of that fight in the second set.”
This was seemingly true. Teh deciding set might have been the reality to Swiatek that she wasn’t going to win this one. “She came in on a high note,” Stevenson continued and it was a very high note of 37 straight wins; possibly too much so that you’d know soon Iga wouldn’t be able to keep that pace up.
The issue was there for Iga and bit by bit it might have come tumbling down upon her. In many areas she was unsteady and out of position on hitting shots that once went smooth for her. “This is why Cornet is so good. She’s not going to give you that point,” Stevenson frankly added.
The straight set win the Frenchwoman had over the Pole will carry her confidence into the fourth set but as for Iga she has to re-group and see what went wrong. “I’m a huge fan of Iga and I am just very flattered I did it today,” Alize Cornet said with a broad smile of hope and success.
She was just at a loss for words as well as Iga was. Swiatek bowed out gracefully and went to the fans to sign hats, books, balls and whatever else needed signing. She gave a small smile but inside most like was in turbulence.
Swiatek knew well that the winning streak couldn’t last much longer and now that it’s over, she can have a new and fresh beginning to finish up the last part of the tour.
