Of all the tests that potential champions here need to pass, fending off a fighting Alizé Cornet is right up there with the hardest of the lot. Serena Williams could not manage it in 2014, Iga Swiatek could not cope with her 12 months ago and had it not been for a nasty fall late in the second set by the Frenchwoman on Thursday, Elena Rybakina might have joined them on the Cornet victim list.
As it was, the defending champion survived, her 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory sending her into the third round, where Britain’s Katie Boulter awaits. On the evidence of the way Rybakina played in the first set, and how she kept her nerve as the pressure built and amid all the drama late in the second, the 24-year-old will take some stopping again this year.
As is her style, there was no celebration after match point but there was a warm handshake with Cornet, who made Rybakina’s life much harder than looked likely after a very one-sided opening set. Though the 33-year-old, making her record-extending 66th consecutive grand slam appearance, seemed to be moving well enough after treatment, the fall broke her momentum and Rybakina wrapped things up in the tie-break.
“I started the match good and I think I had good energy also but in the second it became a bit tougher,” Rybakina said. “I was not pushing as good with the legs, it was a long game (at 5-5) also Alizé had the fall. It was a tough match but I’m happy to win in two sets and get to the next round.”
When Rybakina realised she would have to play Cornet, it would have been no surprise if she’d taken an extra-long breath. Few players have a greater ability to fight, scramble and get themselves into matches that on paper they should not than Cornet. Gutsy and canny in equal measure, she was getting on Rybakina’s nerves through the strength of her play, making one extra ball, always giving her something different to think about.
The first set was all Rybakina, though. The Kazakhstani, who romped to her first grand slam title here 12 months ago, barely got a serve in court in the warmup but when the umpire announced “play”, she clicked into gear. She won 15 of the first 17 points and dropped just one point on serve in the entire first set, which was over in 26 minutes.
But Cornet loves nothing more than a battle and slowly she began to work her way back into the match. Keeping the ball away from the lethal backhand of Rybakina, she used her slice effectively to take away the pace and at 3-3, she had her first break point of the match, only to let her racket fly out of her hand in frustration when she netted a very makeable backhand return.
At 5-5, she had 0-40 on the Rybakina serve but the champion came up with big ones when she needed them. Two more break points came and went in a game containing 12 deuces but Cornet’s hopes effectively ended when she slipped over just behind the baseline, yelping in pain and clutching her right hip, which was already strapped. Rybakina ran around the net to check on her welfare and it looked as if the match was over but after some treatment, when a shocked Cornet was in tears, she returned to carry on.
Both women held serve but Cornet’s spark was gone. From 3-2 in the tie-break, Rybakina won four straight points to seal victory and set up a clash with Boulter. “Of course I understand the crowd won’t be on my side this time,” Rybakina said. “But hopefully it is going to be a good match. I hope the crowd enjoys it and I hope it’s going to be a good one.”
Elina Svitolina marches on, the Ukrainian beating the 28th seed, Elise Mertens, 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 to set up a clash with the former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. But the French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova went out, beaten 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 by Jule Niemeier of Germany, a quarter-finalist last year, after suffering a nasty fall when 2-0 down in the deciding set.
The fifth seed, Caroline Garcia, battled past Leylah Fernandez 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6), Donna Vekic beat Sloane Stephens and Anett Kontaveit said goodbye to professional tennis after losing 6-1, 6-2 to Marie Bouzkova. “Just a lot of emotions,” said the Estonian, who is retiring due to a back injury. “There’s sadness, there’s happiness, there’s a bit of everything.”
