Strasbourg (AFP)

French N.1 Caroline Garcia, 25, stranded Saturday in the final of the WTA tournament in Strasbourg against Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, 19, and 42nd in the world, winning in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3) after three hours of fierce struggle on the eve of Roland Garros.

Stifled during a set and a half by the power of the Ukrainian she met for the first time (49 winning strokes on the whole match, 18 for Garcia), the Lyonnaise, 24th world and seeded N.4, managed to turn the tide at the end of the second run, clearing two match points to win 7-5.

Breakée input at the beginning of the 3rd set, she managed to pick up and even get a match point, before giving in a tie-break better negotiated by Yastremska (7-3), seeded N. 6 which won his third title on the WTA circuit in Strasbourg.

"I gave everything (...) she was a little more opportunistic at the end," said after the match Garcia, crowned Strasbourg in 2016.

She played Saturday in Alsace her first final of the year, after a slow start to the season (14 wins for 11 losses), except for the Fed Cup, where she was back after two seasons and where she knew hold his rank.

- Yastremska, executioner of the Blue -

With two games in three sets, her journey to the final in Alsace was not easy but she has gradually raised its level of play, delivering in the semifinals his best copy, including service (10 aces), against his compatriot Chloé Paquet, 223rd world and tournament surprise.

"The level of play is interesting, the state of mind is very interesting, I will try to rely on it" for Roland-Garros and the following tournaments, positivized Garcia, quarter-finalist in Paris in 2017 where she will be this year N.24 seeded and will face in the first round the German Mona Barthel, 84th world.

"Maybe today, I wanted more victory than she, it may be that (who made) the difference," said, on his side, Yastremska, who will face in the first round to Paris the Spanish Carla Suarez Navarro, 28th world. The Odessa native, who celebrated her 19th birthday ten days ago, proved the Frenchman's executioner this week, with, besides Garcia, victories over Pauline Parmentier and Fiona Ferro.

? 2019 AFP