Paris (AFP)
The pieces of the puzzle come together again: Caroline Garcia, ex-World No. 4 today 45th, returns to the knockout stages in Grand Slam for the first time in more than two years at Roland Garros.
Under the roof of the Central court on Friday afternoon, Garcia (26) knocked down the Belgian Elise Mertens (20th) 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 in 2:15 to afford his first major round of 16 since Roland -Garros 2018, his fourth overall.
She will challenge world No.5 Elina Svitolina for a place in the quarter-finals, so far her best Grand Slam result here in 2017.
Out of the top 10 in October 2018, the top 20 the following spring, the top 30 in September 2019, then the top 40 a month later: since its sumptuous Wuhan-Beijing sequence at the end of 2017 and its best ranking in September 2018, the Lyonnaise was experiencing a slow but incessant slide in the WTA standings.
In particular, a fragile and recalcitrant back which prevented him from building the physique required by his explosive and aggressive game.
"In relation to my game, I need a lot of intensity, to be very fast on my legs" but "I regressed physically at the end of last year. I have become slow and limp," noted- her after her elimination in the second round of the Australian Open in January.
- Physics reconstructed -
Garcia seems to have taken advantage of the confinement and the long suspension of the pro circuit because of the Covid-19 pandemic to rebuild a physique to match his ambitions.
It was in Manacor, where she was confined with her parents, that the French N.2 conscientiously got down to the task.
Back to competition during the American mini-tour concentrated in New York, after more than five months of break, Garcia reaped the first fruits at the US Open, by offering himself the world No. 4, and then seeded N.1, Karolina Pliskova in the second round.
But American Jennifer Brady stopped her dead in the next round.
Back on the Central Friday, as in the first round, Garcia got off to a very bad start: nine unforced errors in the first three games earned him a double break (4-0) in favor of Mertens.
But the loss of the first set did not discourage her and she then proved to be both very applied and very impactful, in particular on the service (73% from the first ball) and on the forehand, until a total of 38 strokes. winners, including six aces.
- At the sixth match point -
"It was undecided, a real battle. I started very badly, but I managed to stay calm and find solutions, to fight", she rejoiced, all smiles.
Garcia, however, struggled to conclude.
Serving for the win of the game at 5-4, she let slip three first match points, and allowed Mertens to equalize.
Then after having again seized the throw-in from the Belgian, she again offered him a chance to come back to height, before transforming his sixth match point.
"There is a bit of tension that came without warning at one point," she admitted.
Two other French players will try to join her in the second week, Fiona Ferro (49th) and the young Clara Burel (19).
© 2020 AFP