Cornet crumbles in Washington

AlizeCornet_high_s

The world number 21's poor run of form continued, as she made it three straight losses since her momentous upset over Serena Williams at Wimbledon.

Rogers posted a 7-5 4-6 6-4 victory in two hours and six minutes in Washington.

Cornet coughed up a 5-2 lead in the first set, dropping five straight games as the world number 121 took the lead.

Rogers had the match at her mercy when she opened up a break lead in the fifth game, but she handed it straight back - and Cornet broke again in the 10th game to level the match.

But the 21-year-old - who reached the Bad Gastein final as a qualifier earlier in July - continued her purple patch of form, breaking the Cornet serve twice in the decider before serving out the match to love.

Madison Keys' struggles continued, as the American seventh seed was outplayed by Japan's Kurumi Nara 7-5 6-3.

Eighth seed Sorana Cirstea arrested a 3-0 third-set deficit to roll past Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 6-4 4-6 6-3.

Qualifiers Hiroko Kuwata of Japan and American Taylor Townsend both continued their runs at the WTA International hard-court event with first-round wins.

Kuwata beat American Alison Riske 6-0 7-5, while Townsend came from behind to beat Germany's Julia Goerges 3-6 6-2 6-3.

Sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia had an easy time of her tournament opener, beating Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-3 6-2 while American Vania King thrashed Canadian wildcard Francoise Abanda 6-2 6-0.

Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas was a comfortable victor over American qualifier Tornado Alicia Black 6-4 6-0.

Author(s)