Not really quickly done, but rather well done: this Tuesday in Aire-sur-la-Lys (Pas-de-Calais), the French team, which had won its first medal – in silver – during the previous edition in 2021 in Finland, began in the best way the 27es European mixed team championships that it has the advantage of playing at home, but of which Denmark, four-time holder of a title which it has won 18 times – and 26 times medalist -, is the immense favorite .
For the first of their three Group B matches, the Tricolores won 4-1 against the Netherlands who gave them a hard time, the final score not reflecting the bitterness of the debates, with four meetings completed in three rounds.
The pretty performance of Margot Lambert
At 3-0, with two victories in three sets by the Popov brothers, Toma Junior in singles and doubles with his younger brother Christo, Mulhouse residents Margot Lambert, in women’s doubles with Anne Tran, and Thom Gicquel, in mixed with Delphine Delrue, were able to hit the track without stress.
But if the double champions of France of the DD, 31es world championships, offered a good performance against the Batavian duo Debora Jille / Cheryl Seinen, 27e (21-19, 14-21, 21-18), the 2022 European vice-champions, 5es worlds, ended up giving in in a game that smelled of the top level worldwide against Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek, n°7 (21-19, 18-21, 12-21). While leading 1 set to nothing and 18-14 in the second, the five-time champions of France unscrewed and lost for the second time in five confrontations against a Dutch duo they had dismissed in the semi-finals of the last individual Euro in Madrid.
Despite everything, the Blues, on the strength of this initial success, could ensure their qualification for the semi-finals this Wednesday if, from 4 p.m., they had the Bulgaria of the Stoeva sisters, beaten in the opening by Germany (2-3 ).
In Group A, the Danes of the 2021 Olympic champion, Viktor Axelsen, world No. 1 and double world champion, made short work of Ukraine (5-0), while England got rid of of Scotland (4-1). Before their duel on Thursday (10 a.m.), Danes and English could also reach the last four on Wednesday (10 a.m.), respectively against the Scots and the Ukrainians.
