"I play a bit more relaxed when I'm not the favorite, I have nothing to lose, and that makes me more dangerous" - Alize Cornet after beating Iga Swiatek in Wimbledon 3R
Alize Cornet has said that she's relaxed and at her most dangerous when she's not expected to win following her stunning upset of Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday.
Cornet dumped out the top seed for the loss of just six games to bring up one of the biggest wins of her career. She made a bright start, coasting to a 3-0 lead before Swiatek recovered one of the breaks. However, the Frenchwoman served out the first set in less than an hour.
Swiatek seemed to have rediscovered her mojo at the start of the second, getting within a point of going ahead 3-0 on serve. However, Cornet reeled off the final six games of the match to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time in eight years. In the process, Swiatek's 37-game winning streak drew to a close.
Causing an upset on No.1 Court 🤝 @alizecornet
A moment to cherish for the Frenchwoman 🇫🇷
#Wimbledon https://t.co/bHnVnxIQ80
Following her upset of Swiatek, Cornet said in her press conference that she has "nothing to lose" when she's the underdog. This allows her to hit her shots, especially from the back of the court, with aplomb.
“I play a bit more relaxed when I'm not the favorite," said the Frenchwoman. "I have nothing to lose and that makes me more dangerous. I hit my shots more relaxed, I hit them better from the back of the court."
"It's almost the same scenario as eight years ago against Serena" - Alize Cornet
Alize Cornet was on cloud nine after a dominating win over World No. 1 and reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek.
The 21-year-old isn't at her most fluent on grass, and Cornet capitalized on that to book her place in the second week at SW19. Interestingly, it marked the second time the Frenchwoman knocked out the world's top-ranked player in the third round at Wimbledon.
In 2014, Cornet recovered from a set down to beat Serena Williams. Eight years later, at the same tournament and on the same court (Court No. 1), she would reprise her giantkilling act again, beating a dominant Swiatek.
"It reminds me of the time I beat Serena"
@alizecornet has fond memories of No.1 Court
#Wimbledon https://t.co/yWTtqkhOKM
Reflecting on her Swiatek win, Cornet said that she's at her best when she puts distractions at bay and plays her best tennis. She also reminisced about her victory over Serena Williams on the same court almost a decade ago.
"If you want to win, you have to play your best tennis," said Cornet. "You can't afford to waste energy on anything else. I think that's where I'm best. It's almost the same scenario as eight years ago against Serena. Third round on court number one against number one in the world. I have done it again."
Cornet moves on to play Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday for a place in the quarterfinals.