Alize Cornet Wins Budapest!

ALIZE CORNET! won her first WTA tour title today at the Gaz de Paris Open in Budapest, Hungary against unseeded finalist Andreja Klepac 76(5) 63. The Tier III event saw Alize reach her third final of the year in her breakout 2008 season, bettering her previous two results at Acapulco and Rome coming away with the title and the $28,000 winner's cheque. In reaching the last day of the tournament, Cornet surrendered just 11 games in her previous three matches. At 18 years of age, Alize also became the youngest champion in the history of the event.

Later in the day, partnering with Janette Husarova, Cornet won her first career doubles title of her career, beating their opponents 67(5) 61 106. With the double win Alize became just the fourth person to win both singles and doubles at the same event. Said Alize about the wonderful results of the day, "I'm so happy to win today. It's my first victory on the Tour, so it's very special. It's my favorite surface and it's a big tournament - a Tier III - so it's really just unbelievable. I've had great results on clay this season. I was just really happy to be able to compete so well in Budapest this week." She next heads to Bad Gastein, a clay tournament in Austria.

Athlete Spotlight: Cornet

ALIZE CORNET

Current Ranking: 20th

Age: 18

This young upstart from Nice, France has been one of the biggest success stories of the 2008 season. A French Open Juniors Champion in 2007, Alize has spared little time in he dramatic ascent up the WTA Rankings. Beggining the year ranked 56 in the world, Alize reached her first final in Acapulco which would be just a glipse of her glittering clay-court season. Following a first-round loss on the hardcourts of Miami, Cornet vaulted to the Amelia Island and Charleston semis, her first Tier II and Tier I Semis repectively. Her breakthrough was cemented at the prestigious event in Rome, which marked her first Tier I final. Though she lost to Jankovic, Alize clearly possesses the game and attitude that can bring her to the top of the game.

What truely separates this talented Frecnhwoman, however, is her positive and refreshing attitude towards the sport. She seems genuinly excited about her amazing accomplishments (which is a rareity in tennis). Additionally her bright and thoughtful methods of approaching her matches, interviews, and press venues is one of a kind. Because of her early results and preference for clay, some believe that her succes cannot extend to other surfaces. With her talent and problem-solving capabilities, however, Alize Cornet will be one ot look out for on any court, and is my favorite breakout star of the year.