BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 8, 2023

Alize Cornet

Team France

Press Conference

M. TREVISAN/A. Cornet

2-6, 6-2, 6-2

Team France - 0

Team Italy - 1

THE MODERATOR: We will begin with some questions in English.

Q. Tough luck today. Can you just talk through the match from your perspective? So many breaks of serve. Also, can you just talk about how you were feeling physically? Seemed like you were struggling a bit.

ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, I struggled from the second set. I didn't feel fine on the court, for some reason. I don't know exactly why. I was feeling pretty good before and during the first set.

Then my form dropped. I started to feel a bit dizzy, and I think she changed her strategy and she played much smarter from the second set, which made it really hard for me to be in control of the point because she was playing much higher over the net, and I couldn't take the ball as early as I did in the first set.

I mean, credit to her. She adapted very well, and she found the solution, which I didn't.

Q. You had a really good record against her prior to this match. Was that part of the strategy and the thinking behind the team selection today for you to think that you sort of had the better of that head-to-head?

ALIZE CORNET: Well, you should ask the captain, probably, because I'm just on the court trying to do my job and he's the one doing the strategy. I guess it was part of it, but today was different match.

Martina had a great season so far, much better than mine. She was just the better player today.

Q. You mentioned her change of tactics through the match. Can you just comment on what she's like to play against as a player? Feels like she brings a lot of energy and a lot of heart to the court, as well, which obviously is something you have done throughout your career.

ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, well, she was double-faulting a lot in the first set, and then she was trying to pass more first serves.

I think Garbin probably told her to play higher on my backhand because I was just playing better on the crosscourt from my backhand to her forehand. I think it was just smart.

But overall, yeah, she's tough to play because she's really intense and you know she's a great fighter, same as I. I'm a bit disappointed that I couldn't show it so much in the second, and I think that was a bit of a turn in the match.

That's the way it is. I gave my best anyway. It was not the best I can do, my best level, but I really tried hard, so yeah, that's the way it goes.