If you’re not a hard-core fan of women’s tennis, you have probably never heard of France’s Alize Cornet (ranked 50th in the world) or German Tatjana Maria (not ranked in top 100). But if you’re a fan of contentious handshakes that draw oohs and aaahs from live audiences – and who among us isn’t? – please read on.
Fox Sports’ Chris Chase provides some background on Cornet:
“You could say that drama follows French tennis player Alize Cornet, but you'd technically be wrong because that implies Alize Cornet and drama are two separate entities when they're actually one and the same. They walk together, hand-in-hand, throughout the WTA and into Thursday's second-round match against German Tatjana Maria.”
MORE: American French Open winners | Wimbledon vs French Open roof flap
Drama around Cornet continued Thursday at the French Open at Roland Garros, where Maria was less-than-appreciative of what she perceived to be Cornet’s stalling tactics as she nursed cramps in the third set. Cornet prevailed in the last set, 6-4, to advance in the tournament.
Here’s what went down upon completion of the match.
Alizé Cornet au bout du suspense bat Maria 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 #RG16 https://t.co/b67OAmCIUk
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2016
The French crowd, of course, was behind its countrywoman, but we have to wonder what the response would have been in say, New York at the U.S. Open.