WHAT HAPPENED: Alizé Cornet advanced to the fourth round at the US Open for the first time as Madison Keys was forced to retire in the second set, trailing 7-6, 3-2, due to injury. The No.7 seed, a 2017 runner-up in New York, couldn’t manage to convert any of her six break points in the match, as Cornet, the World No. 56, hung tough against Keys’ blistering pace and continued to keep pace with the powerful American.
There was not a single break of serve in the match, but Keys did earn the first break opportunity of the one hour and 29-minute contest with Cornet serving at 4-5 in the opening set. The 25-year-old sailed a forehand wide, sparking a theme that would continue over the next few games.
After Keys missed a forehand to give Cornet two set points in the first-set tiebreaker, the American then committed her 21st unforced error of the opening stanza to hand Cornet the set on the next point.
Keys needed to see the trainer after the first set for a medical timeout and had her neck massaged before returning to play. It may have provided temporary relief, but her frustration would continue in the first game of the second set as four break points went begging. Cornet, ever feisty, eventually held for 1-0.
Another break point was saved by the 30-year-old Frenchwoman, as she held for 2-1, and Keys pulled the plug two games later.
“I could see, at the beginning of the second set, she started to be in pain,” Cornet said. “She’s not the kind of girl that retires easily, so I guess she must be in real pain, and I’m sorry for her.”
WHAT IT MEANS: The victory is a meaningful one for Cornet, as she reaches the Round of 16 at the US Open for the first time, in her 14th appearance in New York.
Cornet will next face Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova in the Round of 16 as she attempts to reach her first quarterfinal on her 57th lifetime Grand Slam appearance.
Cornet has now reached the Round of 16 at all four majors (Australian Open in 2009, Roland Garros in 2015 and 2017, Wimbledon in 2014).
“The most important thing is that I was holding my serve really well, I was consistent, solid,” Cornet said on court after the match. “I’m sad about the situation, but I’m happy because this was the last Slam where I didn’t reach the fourth round. I worked really hard for it, so I’m glad.”
MATCH POINT: Cornet is playing in her 54th consecutive singles main draw at a major, which is tops among all active WTA players. The all-time leader is Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, who played 62 consecutive main draws from 1994 to 2009.
