Definitely a big surprise, says Caroline Garcia after French Open women's double title victory
Jun 05, 2022
Paris [France], June 5 : French Open women's double champion Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic expressed happiness and said the victory was definitely a big surprise for them.
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic on Sunday ended their French Open women's double campaign with a title win over 8th-seeded Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula by 2-6 6-3 6-2.
"It's definitely a big surprise because, in 2016, we were in a different situation. We were both I think in the Top 10 in doubles. We were a big team so people were expecting us [to win]. It was not the case this year. I think neither did we," Garcia said in the press.
Gauff delivered some dominant play mid-way through the opening set, taking the match by the scruff of the neck and striking some outstanding winners both from the back of the court and at the net.
Talking about the final match where they lost the first set to an American duo, Garcia said, "First set was really tough for us, we couldn't do what we wanted. I think we reacted very well at the end of the changeover. We changed our tactics and really believed in it and really went all the way for it."
"The energy changed completely. The fans were really cheering for us, and I think it was a big help. We kept our line until the end, and I think we just improved through the match," she added.
A crunching crosscourt forehand set up a breakpoint and Mladenovic went sweeping of the tramlines with a backhand to lose her serve for the second time in the opening set.
A crosscourt backhand winner by Garcia polished off a love break of the Gauff serve in the opening game of the third set, and the French twosome went on a tear to 4-0 from there.
Serving for the championship at 5-2, Mladenovic faced a break point and saw two match points slip away, but on the third, a Garcia overhead wrapped up the title for the home team.
Garcia and Mladenovic, who have each reached the Top 10 in both singles and doubles, were WTA Doubles Team of the Year and ITF World Champions for 2016. That season they won four titles including their home major at Roland Garros, and also reached the US Open final.
