By CC
Published on 04/11/2024 at 1:38 p.m.
Christo (au premier plan) et Toma Junior Popov
Laurent Lairys / Laurent Lairys / Panoramic
While one victory was enough for them, Toma Junior and Christo Popov lost in the round of 16 of the European Championship.
A huge disappointment. Launched into the race for a ticket to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics in men’s doubles, Toma Junior and Christo Popov saw the door close in front of them at the last moment. After a scenario with twists and turns. Passed back in front of the other French tandem composed of Lucas Corvée and Ronan Labar after their semi-final in Madrid at the end of March, the two brothers lost the advantage just before this European Championship in Saarbrück, Germany.
Indeed, at the very last moment, Corvée and Labar decided to pack their bags and take their rackets to go grab a few points, ultimately very valuable, in a tournament in the depths of Kazakhstan, which they won. A riot of energy which, however, cost them dearly upon arriving in the German city given their elimination as soon as they entered the fray against the local doubles composed of Bjarne Geiss and Jan Colin Voelker (18-21, 21-15, 16- 21). Which made Lucas Corvée say after the meeting: “We lacked a little energy and control in the first set. We struggled to find our sensations and our best level in the first set and then we found ourselves in a slightly complicated match. In the third we got off to a pretty bad start and it was difficult to chase the score. They played better than us at important moments.
As a result, Toma Junior and Christo Popov once again had their Olympic destiny in hand, a victory this Thursday against the Danes Jesper Toft and Andreas Söndergaard enough for them to both join the European Top 8 and validate their ticket for Paris 2024. Alas, the seeded number 6 completely missed the first set, lost at lightning speed (8-21). And even if they got off to a good start in the second round (5-1), behind, they lost their footing again to lose very clearly against the 44th in the world, while they themselves were three notches higher in the global hierarchy.
This setback in the round of 16 therefore delights Lucas Corvée and perhaps even more Ronan Labar, who feared having to retire due to this failure, but who will therefore have the opportunity to do so after having experienced the Olympic Games in residence. For the Popov brothers, this defeat means that only one of the two will compete in Paris 2024 in singles, with for the moment the advantage going to the younger of the two, Christo (22 years old). But already eliminated from these European Championships, he has also opened the door to his elder who, if he reaches the final on Sunday, will snatch his qualification at the last minute.
2024-04-11 11:38:50
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