ALIZE Cornet is taking inspiration from Marion Bartoli's Wimbledon "miracle"
as she attempts to capitalise on a spellbinding victory over five-time champion Serena Williams.
With Bartoli deciding to retire within weeks of holding aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish last July, and teenage prospect Caroline Garcia tumbling out on Saturday, Cornet is France's last representative in the women's singles going into the second week.
The 24-year-old from Nice survived to reach the fourth round in extraordinary fashion, bustling her way to victory over world number one Williams in three sets to earn a Centre Court shot today at this year's big break-out star of the women's tour, Canada's Eugenie Bouchard.
Bartoli said on the eve of this year's tournament it was miraculous that she had won Wimbledon with an injured shoulder and her best days apparently behind her.
While Cornet may be only coming into her prime now, she never expected to be the focus of attention at the grass-court grand slam, not least because until last year she was averse to the surface.
Now she hopes a little of the good fortune that allowed Bartoli to cap her career in glory can rub off on her.
"What better way than to beat Serena and get through to the second week," Cornet said. "My first appearance in the last 16 of a grand slam, at the Australian Open (in 2009), feels a thousand years ago.
"I am super happy but my tournament isn't over. If I could have the same destiny as Marion last year, I'd sign for it straight away."
Their match opens Centre Court on Monday, and another highlight may follow in the third match on Court One when Maria Sharapova, who was seeded to tackle Williams in the quarter-finals, will tackle Angelique Kerber for the right to instead take on Cornet or Bouchard in the last eight.
Fresh from winning her second French Open, Sharapova is also targeting Wimbledon triumph number two, a decade after landing her first at the age of 17 and 12 months after losing in the second round to qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito.
"I'm quite happy with the way I've gone about things so far I'm happy I've gone further than last year," said Sharapova.