France’s no. 1 seed Alizé Cornet has advanced to the final at Gstaad after the retirement of Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard with the score at 7-6(5), 1-0.
“The first set was really tight. She was playing very well and very aggressive. I couldn’t see that she was injured, but I’m very happy that I won the first set,” Cornet said after the match.
“You never know, if she had won the first set, maybe she would have kept going. She was playing amazing. I’m glad to be in the final…and I hope I can get to the trophy.”
Cornet will play first-time singles finalist Mandy Minella, who gave birth to her first child, a daughter in October. 32-year-old Minella defeated Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Cornet is aiming for her first title in over two years. The last coming at Hobart in January 2016, she was runner-up in Brisbane in early 2017.
“I’m shaking, but I’m still very happy,” Minella said after the match. “She got me on the back foot from the beginning. She played very fast, so I didn’t feel as good as the other days because I didn’t have time to play. It was just different, and I had to fight into the match.” Minella is ranked at 226, with Cornet at 48.
