Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel are back in the final of the European Badminton Championships in mixed doubles. Silver medalists in 2022, the French will try their luck again in the final on Saturday, in this table which is one day ahead of the others. The five-time French champions won on Friday evening against the Danes Mathias Thyrri and Amalie Magelund, at the end of a three-set match which gave them some heat.
They won the first set in overtime, before letting the second slip away and then unfolding (22-20, 16-21, 21-13). The final promises to be at least as difficult since they will face another Danish pair, Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje, the number 1 seeds of the tournament. The Blues lead 3-1 in their confrontations. “You will have to be very focused on the first three shots,” warns Gicquel. Attack will be key. »
Toma Junior Popov, for the final and for the Olympics
For the rest, France will be represented on Saturday in two semi-finals. In the men’s singles quarter-finals, Toma Junior Popov easily defeated Azerbaijan’s Ade Resky Dwicahyo (21-10, 21-13). The player from Fos-sur-Mer finds himself assured of a bronze medal, as in 2022, but he obviously wants more. The motivation does not only concern the medal because he finds himself one victory away from qualifying for the Olympics.
By winning, he would come down to the wire in front of his brother Christo at the Race for Paris 2024. However, a major obstacle awaits him since he will be pitted against Viktor Axelsen, the world number 1. In three confrontations, he has never beaten the Dane but he has not been imperial lately. “The goal of the game will be to put him far from the steering wheel and get off the steering wheel quickly,” anticipated Tomi Popov. Then experience and details will speak. »
Serene like Tran and Lambert
The other match in the last four will concern the women’s doubles. Anne Tran and Margot Lambert (seeded n°2) continued their journey quietly by beating the Scottish pair Torrance/Macpherson in two sets (21-10, 21-10). In the semi-finals, they will face the Dutch Seinen/Jille (n°4), whom they dominated during their two matches in 2023.
The five other French representatives were eliminated this Friday during the quarter-finals. After her performance the day before against the Danish Mia Blichfeldt (n°2), Rosy Pancasari fell in singles to the Turkish Neslihan Arin (21-15, 21-10), regretting not having better adapted her strategy.
For her part, Léonice Huet was undeserving against Carolina Marin, the Olympic champion and six-time European champion (21-18, 21-15). “If she shouted like that, it’s because she wasn’t necessarily calm,” said the French singles champion. But in money time, I perhaps wanted to force things too much and that’s what leads to unforced errors. »
Merklé upset the world No. 4
Among the men, Alex Lanier paid for his late start against the Finn Joakim Oldorff (21-12, 21-19). “I made a lot of mistakes, it wasn’t a great day for me,” summed up the Norman, who defeated Christo Popov in the first round. It’s a shame not to have shown the things I could do before. »
The frustration is even greater for Arnaud Merklé who lost after having pushed Anders Antonsen, the Danish world number 4, to his physical limits (24-22, 27-25). “I fought constantly, I’m super happy with that,” consoled the Mulhouse player. But he was smarter and more mature in the way he handled the end of the set. » Same taste of unfinished business for Eloi Adam and Léo Rossi in doubles against the English Lane and Vendy (21-19, 21-18).
2024-04-12 22:01:13
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