Cornet routs Bouchard for the Hobart International title

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Wilson Blade 9

World No.42 Alize Cornet won her fifth career title on Saturday at the Hobart International, crushing 47th-ranked Eugenie Bouchard in the final 6-1 6-2.

Alize Cornet - 2016 Brisbane International -D3M_0829
Alize Cornet

Only 48% of Bouchard’s first serves were in and she won only 38% of points on first serve. Five double faults only worsened the situation. The seventh-seeded Cornet delivered a polished performance, breaking Bouchard’s serve seven times in the windy conditions that frustrated both players.

Earlier in the draw, the seventh-seeded Cornet survived a thrilling match against Veronica Cepede Royg in the second round, but then enjoyed a rest in the quarterfinals when ninth seed Mona Barthel handed her a walkover, while the semifinal against Johanna Larsson was an easy 6-1 6-1 affair.

Ambiance - Hobart International 2015 -DSC_1869
The beautiful Hobart setting

Despite the loss in the final, Bouchard’s start of 2016 has been the most consistent among WTA players, as before Hobart the Canadian made the quarterfinals in Shenzhen. These successful first two weeks of the season are especially encouraging for her because of the lengthy layoff caused by a concussion she suffered in a dressing room fall at the 2015 US Open.

Both Cornet and Bouchard are set to face Serbian opponents in the first round of the Australian Open, Bojana Jovanovski and Aleksandra Krunic, respectively.

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