Dubai: Last year’s runner-up Alize Cornet grimaced at the prospect of a first round encounter with Kirtsen Flipkens in the draw for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Tennis Stadium on Saturday.
France’s Cornet beat Belgium’s Flipkens 6-3, 6-4 in the second round here last year, before going on to beat Serena Williams in the semi-final, only to lose to Serena’s sister Venus in the final.
Cornet went on to meet Flipkens two more times in 2014 in Rome [6-3, 6-2] and Wuhan [7-6(4), 1-6, 6-3], winning both matches to take the pair’s head-to-head record to 3-2 in Cornet’s favour, or 3-3 if you count a 2011 qualifier at Indian Wells won by Flipkens.
Asked why she reacted to the draw with such disdain, Cornet replied: “Because we played here in the second round last year, and I went on to play her like three times in 2014. She’s a very good friend of mine so it’s also complicated to play against a friend.
“The last time we played it was such a battle, I won 6-4 in the third in China, so I’m expecting another tough match. I was thinking, OK, same time, same place and same opponent, it’s funny, but any names you play are good, so it’s a tough draw for everyone.”
Although not enamoured by a Flipkens rematch, the element of déjà vu that would be welcomed by Cornet would be if she were to replicate her run to the final here in Dubai to kick-start her season.
After reaching the final here in 2014, Cornet went on to reach two more finals, winning in Katowice and losing in Guangzhou, she also made the semis in Paris and quarters in Wuhan, and went onto beat Serena twice more at Wimbledon and Wuhan, for an unlikely hat-trick.
“It was a pretty nice season for me and it all started here in Dubai,” added the 25-year-old World No.19. “I got back into the world’s top 20 and found a really good level, so I’m glad to be back here.
“Of course, when you have such good memories, you think about it and it gives you confidence for the tournament, so I’ll base myself on what I did last year and try to find those feelings again.”
Meanwhile, 2012 Dubai champion Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland was just as cautious of a possible second round match-up with France’s Caroline Garcia.
The pair played twice in 2014, with Radwanska winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in Madrid and Garcia winning 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) in Wuhan, to share a 1-1 head-to-head record.
“I’m going to have to prepare for a really tough match, otherwise I’m in trouble,” said the 25-year-old World No.8. “The last two matches between us ran three hours, so I guess it’s not going to be short.”
Despite their previous record, Radwanska said she was going in confident. “When you go in for a tournament, especially one that you’ve won before, the goal is to win again and that’s what I’m going to try to do,” she added.
