‘It was really painful’ – Alize Cornet reveals 13 years of hurt in emotional on-court interview at Australian Open

ByMarcus Foley

Published 24/01/2022 at 11:16 GMT

“I wanted to play against you so bad. I was so disappointed. I loved your game and I was so excited about playing the quarter-final against you and I couldn't and it was really painful. I'm still here!” said Alize Cornet to Jelena Dokic after beating Simona Halep to make the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+.

Alize Cornet had a hugely emotional moment with Jelena Dokic after she beat Simona Halep 6-4 3-6 6-4 in the searing heat on Rod Laver Arena.

The win meant that the 32-year-old – who has hinted that this year might be her last as a professional – reached a first Grand Slam quarter-final at her 63rd showing at a major.

And following the win, she embraced Jelena Dokic - conducting on-court interview duties - whose presence reminded her of one of the most painful moments of her career.

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The pair were slated to meet at the quarter-final stage of the Australian Open back in 2009. Cornet lost - despite having a couple of match points - her fourth-round match to Dinara Safina, who would then go on to beat Dokic on her way to the final. Safina would lose to Serena Williams in the showpiece.

The poignancy of the moment was not lost on either, who embraced before Cornet went on to tell the crowd how much it would have meant to have faced off against Dokic.

“I wanted to play against you so bad. I was so disappointed,” said Cornet.

“I loved your game and I was so excited about playing the quarter-final against you and I couldn't and it was really painful. I'm still here!”

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The 32-year-old then turned her attentions to the match on Rod Laver Arena against two-time Grand Slam winner Halep, saying:

"It was a battle with Simona today in this heat, after 30 minutes of the game we were both dying on the court. We kept going for two and a half hours with all our heart.

"Congrats to Simona because I know she struggled a lot and I admire this player so much. She's such a fighter and an example to me. To beat her today to go to my first quarter-final is a dream come true. I don't know what to say. It's just magic.

"It's never too late to try again."

Cornet will play USA's Danielle Collins after she beat Elise Mertens. Should Cornet emerge from that match victorious, she will face either Iga Swiatek, Sorana Cirstea, Kaia Kanepi or Aryna Sabalenka for a spot in the final.

Highlights: Cornet reaches first quarter-final with superb win over Halep

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