The last representative from the Riviera at the Australian Open after Alizé Cornet’s elimination yesterday, Fiona Ferro took to the court last night. After a brilliant qualifying campaign, the French player faced an American, McCartney Kessler (24 years old, ranked 207th in the world).
Three days after securing her spot in the main draw of the Australian Open, Fiona Ferro was back on the courts. Opposing her was McCartney Kessler, a relatively unknown player invited by the American federation.
With a slightly better ranking, Fiona Ferro (26 years old, ranked 153rd) was considered the favorite for this match. However, things did not go as planned.
At the start of the match, the two players were evenly matched. Physically well-recovered from her three qualifying rounds, Fiona Ferro implemented her aggressive play. More aggressive on the return against McCartney Kessler, the Riviera player created more opportunities on the opponent’s serve. With control, she logically ended up winning the first set (6-3).
Fiona Ferro Overcome by Stress
Despite being well in her match, Fiona Ferro seemed set to win. But without any apparent reason, the French player was unexpectedly caught off guard at the worst moment in the second set. On the other side, the American did not play a “dangerous” game for the Riviera player. Despite having a break point in the last game to attempt to even the score, Fiona Ferro missed her opportunity. McCartney Kessler reentered the match (6-3).
It was then that things began to get more complicated. Clearly less comfortable, Fiona Ferro started missing very uncharacteristic shots for her. McCartney Kessler did not hesitate to take advantage of this and gained an early lead with a double break in the third set. A disadvantage that the adopted Riviera player could never recover from. “I really underperformed, I didn’t have a good time on the court,” the Frenchwoman declared in a press conference. “I thought I could find a way out, but everything was foggy in my head. I let myself get overwhelmed by the tension, it’s been a while since I have been in such a state.”
Ultimately, Fiona Ferro succumbed in three sets (3-6/6-3/6-2) in 1 hour and 44 minutes with great regret. Now, she will have to return to smaller tournaments to climb back up the rankings, aiming for a direct qualification for Roland Garros in five months.
