Will the best French tenniswoman of the moment, currently 42nd in the world ranking, be able to take part in the next US Open, scheduled from August 31 to September 13 in Flushing Meadows (New York)? Not sure. On the sidelines of the Elite FFT Challenge, recovery tournament under the aegis of the French Federation, she wanted to clarify things. "I had set myself to resume in New York with the Masters (Premier Mandatory in the WTA nomenclature) and the US Open, but there is a very interesting parameter ... it is that I no longer have my visa ESTA (...) We made the request again and we are not giving it to us yet. Suddenly, I had to register in Palermo and Prague, so a return to earth, and if I do not get a visa (for the United States) with all these travel restrictions, I will fall back on earth and do Palermo, Prague, Madrid, Rome, Roland ", she detailed, stressing that" usually, the visa is obtained in a few hours, so it's very special ".
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"I miss the competition, I want to believe that there is still time, that people are doing their utmost to ensure that the sanitary conditions are good. When we see here (in Nice for the first of the 3 stages of the Elite FFT Challenge), when everything is organized well, we say that there is no fear, "she continued, alluding to strict health conditions, but accepted by the participants, implemented by the FFT. However, "we really hear negative things about the development of New York, so we will see from day to day", recalled the player. The professional WTA women's circuit has been stopped since March and must resume on August 3 at Palermo (Italy) before joining, if sanitary conditions allow, the American continent for the double Cincinnati (Premier Mandatory delocalized) - US Open, under bubble in New York. In the meantime, she found her smile on Tuesday by winning against Chloé Paquet 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, the day after a defeat against the 506th world, Clara Burel.
No tennis for two months
“Yesterday (Monday) was very delicate and I am happy to be back today (Tuesday) and to have found a better rhythm and better adjustments. It really helps to make matches. Even if I was tough yesterday, it allowed me to work on game situations, points, and clearly have a better level of play today, "she said, noting. not having played tennis at all during confinement. "For two months there was zero tennis. I was confined to the north but I had an entire gym. For me, it was really important to maintain my health, ”she added. The Northerner had to give up an exhibition tournament in Belgrade following the contamination which occurred during the Adria Tour and which notably affected Novak Djokovic. Suddenly, his objective by participating in the Elite FFT Challenge, is "to match, to feel good, and to be fully once the circuit resumes".
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