World No 1 Iga Swiatek misplaced to Alize Cornet within the third spherical of Wimbledon on Saturday.
Swiatek, who was on a 37-match unbeaten streak misplaced 4-6, 2-6 to the Frenchwoman.
Whereas the Polish made 33 unforced errors within the one hour 33 minute match, Cornet made solely seven. The highest seeded Swiatek had been unbeaten since February and gained her previous six tournaments in a row.
“I do know I did not play good tennis. I used to be fairly confused about my ways,” mentioned Swiatek, a two-time French Open champion who has by no means superior previous the fourth spherical on the All England Membership. “For positive, it wasn't a very good efficiency for me.”
It was not simply the match's winner that was surprising. It was additionally simply how one-sided this 1-hour, 33-minute encounter was.
“This type of match is what I’m dwelling for, it’s what I’m working towards for day by day,” Cornet mentioned. “It actually drives me. I knew I may do it. Someway, I had this perception.”
No girl had gained as many matches in a row as Swiatek since Martina Hingis additionally put collectively a run of 37 in 1997.
However immediately, it appeared, this is able to not be Swiatek’s day.
“I did not know what to do,” she mentioned.
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On a cold, windy afternoon at No. 1 Courtroom, she shortly fell behind 3-0 and of Cornet’s first 14 factors, 9 got here through unforced errors off the racket of the 21-year-old participant from Poland. Just one got here through a winner produced by Cornet herself.
Usually so crisp together with her photographs, calm together with her demeanor, Swiatek was not precisely comfortable in both sense. After one missed forehand return, she swatted the toes of her proper shoe together with her racket.
By the tip, Swiatek had made 33 unforced errors — a whopping 26 greater than Cornet. And Swiatek’s sturdy forehand produced 9 winners, solely two greater than Cornet amassed.
This isn't the primary shocking outcome Cornet has give you on the All England Membership. The one different time she reached the fourth spherical on the grass-court Grand Slam match got here in 2014, when she eradicated main singles champion Serena Williams.
“I've no phrases proper now. It jogs my memory of the time I beat Serena on the identical court docket, eight years in the past precisely," Cornet mentioned. "This court docket is a fortunate allure for me.”
When the match ended — appropriately sufficient, with Swiatek dumping a forehand into the web — Cornet raised her arms and smiled as large a smile as will be.
Cornet is a 32-year-old who reached her first quarterfinal in 63 appearances at majors by getting that far on the Australian Open in January. Now she's a win away from getting that far once more, going through unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia subsequent.
“I am like good wine," Cornet mentioned. "Good wine at all times ages properly.”
