What a day ! But also what disappointment for Toma Junior Popov, the double winner of the Orléans Masters of badminton, winner of the 2021 and 2022 editions.
Barely entered the 2023 edition, this Wednesday morning April 5, at the Palais des Sports in Orléans, the Frenchman left it definitively, in the middle of the afternoon, eliminated, first of all, from the doubles tournament, with his brother Christo, then out of the table in singles, his main objective of the week, by the Indonesian Christian Adinata. And this, in three sets, 21-16, 19-21, 16-21.
“Fatigue”
Toma Junior Popov was among the main underdogs in the competition. He who had arrived in the Loiret not having hidden his fatigue “in body and in mind”. A wear that he intended to overcome until Sunday to then be able to “rest” and better prepare “the Asian tour” to come. All this at an important moment of the season linked to the start of the Olympic qualifications scheduled from May.
CO’Met is “the most successful room in the country” according to Alain Béral, the president of the National Basketball League
Another tricolor defeat, another setback having a scent of nostalgia with the elimination of Brice Leverdez, dominated by the Spaniard Luís Enrique Peñalver, 17-21, 11-21. The native of La Garenne-Colombes, with a long list of achievements (thirteen international titles, nine times champion of France), thus put an end to his international career. Among men, all French hopes now rest, in singles, on Christo Popov, who has gone from 69th to 41st place in the world in just over a year and who is also aiming for a ticket to the Olympics.
Christo got rid of the Swede, Felix Burestedt today and will be opposed, this Thursday, April 6, in the round of 16, to the Chinese Lei Lan Xi, world number 92.
Carolina Marin, world number 7
This Wednesday, the day was also marked by the entry into the running of the Spanish Carolina Marin, world number 7, big favorite in women’s singles. The Andalusian, triple world champion and Olympic champion, did not have to force her talent to take the measure of the best Dane of the moment, Line Christophersen, 21-9, 21-18. Logic respected.
Lanier’s feat
The Orleans Sports Palace has found a new darling, in the person of the Calvadosian Alex Lanier who brought down, in the round of 16, the Dane Anders Antonsen, 13th in the world and seeded number 4 in the tournament. All in three sets (21-12, 5-21, 21-10).
Coming from the qualifications, where he had dismissed, on Tuesday, the Singaporean Jason Teh, the young Frenchman, aged 18, tamed, today, in stride, the one who was still world number 2 last October.
In the round of 16, Alex Lanier will face another Dane this Thursday, April 6, Mads Christophersen (52nd), Taiwanese Lin Chun-Yi (30, 21-14, 21-9).
Laurent Coursimault
