Alizé Cornet, 37th player in the world, was eliminated on Friday in the semi-finals of the Cleveland (Ohio) tournament, the last repetition on hard surface before the US Open, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-3 by Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich (36th). Semi-finalist of the Bad Hombourg grass tournament in June, after being quarter-finalist at the Australian Open, the 32-year-old Frenchwoman failed to qualify for the final, a stage she has not reached since August 2021 in Chicago. Cornet, eighth runner-up at Wimbledon after dominating world No.1 Iga Swiatek, fought a big battle against Sasnovich but gave up in 2:50.
After a hotly contested second set, the 28-year-old Belarusian soared on the edge of the third set with a break before sealing her success, which allows her to rally for the second time this season, after Melbourne in January, the final of a WTA tournament. Cornet paid for his inefficiency in service, with only 35% of points won behind his second ball, against 59% for his opponent. The Frenchwoman is now preparing to participate in the US Open, where she will meet defending champion Emma Raducanu in the first round. Cornet has never made it past the round of 16 in New York.