Cornet finally gets into quarterfinals
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA >> Alize Cornet dropped to her knees on the hard blue court, clasped her hands and took a few moments to let it sink in.
In her 17th trip to the Australia Open, her 63rd run at a Grand Slam, and two days after celebrating her 32nd birthday, Cornet finally qualified for the quarterfinals at one of the four major events in tennis.
Cornet recovered after a second-set meltdown in the hot Melbourne sun on Monday to advance to the last eight at the Australian Open with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over two-time major champion Simona Halep.
Her victory over Halep, a former Wimbledon and French Open champion and runner-up in Australia, gave her a record for most appearances at a major before reaching the quarterfinals. Tamarine Tanasugarn previously held the mark at 45, set at Wimbledon in 2008.
“It’s never too late to try again!” Cornet said in her on-court TV interview. “To be in my first quarterfinal. It’s a dream come true.
“The journey goes on. I still can’t believe it.”
No. 115-ranked Kaia Kanepi had the same feeling, waiting until she was 36 to reach the quarterfinals in Australia and finally advancing when, after wasting four match points, she upset secondseeded Aryna Sabalenka 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7).
Within seconds, fourthseeded Stefanos Tistsipas defeated No. 20 Taylor Fritz 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena to conclude Day 8.
Kanepi’s match had to be shifted off the main
stadium court because of a late-finishing day program. Kanepi wrapped it up just after midnight on Margaret Court Arena to set up a showdown against 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who beat Sorana Cirstea 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
“I thought I was going to lose it after the match points I had on my serve,” said Kanepi, who had reached the quarterfinals twice at each of the other three majors. “It was difficult to come back.
It helped her that Sabalenka’s service woes continued and she made 15 double-faults, giving her 56 for the tournament.
“Australian Open was the only quarterfinal of a Grand Slam I was missing,” Kanepi said. “At my age, I didn’t believe I would do it.”
Cornet had her issues, too. She led by a set and 3-1 before losing five consecutive games and 16 straight points as Halep took the match to a decider.
The match was 2-2 in the third set after Cornet held a service game at love, saying “allez” after every shot she hit.
Halep got a break-point chance two games later with a forehand down the line that just caught the outside of the paint and which Cornet could barely believe. She saved it and held serve, then broke Halep’s serve for a 4-3 lead that set her on course for the quarterfinals.
Cornet will next play American Danielle Collins, a 2019 Australian Open semifinalist who beat 19thseeded Elise Mertens 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.