Bad Homburg Open: Caroline Garcia beats Alizé Cornet; to meet Bianca Andreescu in final
World No. 75 Caroline Garcia won against fellow Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet 7-6(9), 3-6, 7-5 in the semifinals of the Bad Homburg Open at Bad Homburg Tennis Club in Bad Homburg, Germany, on June 24
CAROLINE GARCIA (FRA)Caroline Garcia advanced to the 11th final of her career owing to the victory against Cornet, with her last WTA final coming at Nottingham in 2019. The 28-year-old improved her win-loss record against Alizé Cornet to 4-2 at their first-ever faceoff on the grass court, with Alizé Cornet winning at their previous two meetings.
The players were equally matched in the opening set. Neither Caroline Garcia nor Alize Cornet had to face even a single breakpoint as the set went into an overtime tiebreak. Caroline Garcia stayed persistent, which paid off as she saved a set point with a smooth forehand volley, followed by another set point to win the highly tight opener.
Alizé Cornet went on the offensive and the second set to clinch the first service break of the match at 3-4. The service of Caroline Garcia was riddled with errors in the second set, and Alizé Cornet took advantage to win the second set 3-6
Alizé Cornet tried to build on the momentum on the second set and raced to a quick 1-3 lead. However, Caroline Garcia regained her rhythm and won four out of the next five games to get a 5-4 advantage. She saved a match point and broke the serve of Alizé Cornet at 6-5 with an excellent forehand winner.
Caroline Garcia won the third set by nailing a near-perfect backhand winner to end the service-dominated match after two hours and 35 minutes of intense back and forth.
Caroline Garcia faces Bianca Andreescu in the Bad Homburg Open title clash on June 25.
Bianca Andreescu advances via walkover
Bianca Andreescu advanced to the final of the Bad Homburg Open on June 24 as Simona Halep had to withdraw ahead of the semifinal faceoff due to a subsequent injury.
Former World No. 5 Bianca Andreescu has advanced to a tour-level final for the first time since the 2021 Miami Open. However, she had to retire mid-match due to a medical issue; Ash Barty received a walkover and won the trophy.
After the announcement of her withdrawal, Simona Halep said, “I am sorry that I had to withdraw today before my semifinal match. But unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a blocked neck, which is not allowing me to perform to the best of my ability.