Cornet Stuns Serena to Meet Venus in Dubai Finals

February 21, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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Alizé Cornet, currently ranked 26th in the world, pulled off a shocking upset in Dubai at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, taking out world number one Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4 and moving into the finals. Cornet’s win prevented what would be an all-Williams Sisters finals in Dubai as Venus Williams defeated Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3, 6-2.

Cornet was winless in three previous meetings with Serena, and was winless in 17 career matches against top four players.

"It was tough to close it out because I had four match points the game before, and on the four match points she played unbelievable, so I was like, 'Okay, maybe she's going to put a little bit more on the important points now,'" Cornet said. "But I just tried to relax and breathe and pass my first serve at 5-4. I stayed focused and when the last ball went out I was like, 'That's it? I did it? Then I was full of emotion. It's definitely the biggest win of my career."

Venus had won all four of her previous meetings with Wozniacki in straight sets, but they hadn't played in almost six years. Venus is now through to her biggest final in nearly four years, since Madrid in May 2010. She has won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships the last two times she's played it and has now won 14 straight matches at the event.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Bethpage
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