Swiatek's 37-match winning streak over at the hands of French veteran Alize Cornet; Anisimova puts out Gauff
LONDON: Good wine ages well, Alize Cornet said with a laugh after snapping World No. 1 Iga Swiatek's stunning streak of 37 straight wins. The Pole won six tournament titles in four months, including the French Open before a feisty 32-year-old raised a toast to belief on Wimbledon's Court No. 1.
Cornet carved out a 6-4, 6-2 win in 93-minutes under a sparkling summer sky that was redolent of her victory over Serena Williams, the then World No. 1, also in the third round on the very same court in 2014. The French pro, who came through in three sets eight years ago, is back in the second week of the championships for the first time since.
The pivotal point of the third-round clash was not Cornet's start, the world No. 3 7 had jumped ahead 3-0, but rather at how tidy she kept her end of things. Just seven unforced errors to Swiatek's aberrantly clumsy count of 33. "It reminds me of the time I beat Serena on the same court, eight years ago exactly," Cornet said.
"This court is a lucky charm for me. I think these kinds of matches are what I'm living for, what I'm practicing for every day. I knew I could win it. I had the belief."
Cornet, who tied the women's record for most consecutive Grand Slams played, matching Ai Sugiyama's mark of 62 in the first-round here, added, "First I must say that I'm a huge fan of Iga. She's talented and a very good ambassador for women's tennis. But I thought if there was a moment I could beat her, it's on grass."
Earlier, Amanda Anisimova lay on her back, on the celebrated patch of grass. She allowed herself a smile as she took in the clear blue sky. Anisimova knocked out compatriot, teenage sensation Coco Gauff 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1 in another third-round clash.
At the end of the 2-hour 7-minute affair the Americans met at the net for a handshake that was beyond their years in weight. Gauff versus Ansimova - is a probable Grand Slam final match-up. Down-the-line. They are 18 and 20 years of age - seeded 11 and 20 - whose potential is currency for the sport.
Anisimova, the older, for whom the last three years have been particularly turbulent, rallied from the edge. She was a set down after losing the last six points of the opening set tiebreak in her Centre Court debut.
"It's my first time playing on Centre Court. It's the most special day of my career," Anisimova said in her on-court interview after making the round-of-sixteen here for the first time. "It's just a huge privilege to play on this court, playing Coco.
She's an amazing player and just got to the finals of a Grand Slam. Before the match, I was trying to prepare myself to soak in this moment whether I win or lose. Winning today is just so special. " Gauff, who started the match by powering a 116 mph down-the-middle ace in the opening game, led 3-0 before Anisimova weighed-in. "I think the worst thing for a tennis player is to lose 7-6 in the first set,"
Anisimova, who led the tie-breaker 4-1, said. "It was important to bounce back. " Anisimova will face France's Harmony Tan, who has sparked some dissonance in the women's draw by taking out Serena Williams.
