Alize Cornet pounces over Pauline Parmentier to reach final – Internationaux de Strasbourg 2012
In an all-French affair, wildcard enterer Alize Cornet took down Pauline Parmentier in a three-set thriller at the Internationaux de Strasbourg 2012 on Friday. She summed up a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 success against the world number 66 to book a spot in the title-round
at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) clay court event held in Strasbourg, France.
Cornet showed her best tennis and after losing the opening set, she pulled out the equaliser with a breadstick to get back in game. She then carried her momentum and carved out the victory in two hours and 31 minutes. As a result, the winning French not
only took lead in the head-to-head series by 1-0 against Parmentier but also charged into the final showdown.
The Cucq native, Parmentier made quick in-roads and jumped to a 3-0 lead with two breaks of serve. However, she lost her following three games in a row and exchanged a serve break to level the scores at 4-4. The 26-year-old got the breakthrough in the ninth
game and clinched the opener with a 6-4 score line.
Ranked 83rd in the WTA Premier Rankings, Cornet made a fitting reply in the following set. After Parmentier held her serve in the second game, the winning French stroke out the following five games consecutively and sealed the equaliser with an
assuring 6-1 success.
The match was poised on a knife edge but Cornet broke her compatriot’s serve twice and leaped to a 5-2 lead. Regardless of losing her serve in the very next game, she capitalised on another break opportunity and clinched the decider with a 6-3 score line.
Up next for Cornet is the former French Open titlist, Francesca Schiavone of Italy.
"I know the crowd will support Alize in the final - she's French and she's a great player," the Italian veteran commented about her next match-up against Cornet. "But I will go out there and try my best, fight and enjoy the match, and I hope the public will
support me for the final too!"
The second seed lost her serve three times but cashed in six out of 11 break chances to formulate a 7-5, 6-1 victory against the American teenager, Sloane Stephens. She clobbered a lower first serve share of 51 per cent as compared to her rival’s 68 but
impressively clicked 23 out of 37 points on it, eventually sealing the deal in one and a half hour-long venture.
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