World Tour Finals (BWF) in Hangzhou (China), from Wednesday December 17 to Sunday December 21
Of the 64 badists qualified in the five tables of the World Tour Finals, from December 17 to 21, in Hangzhou, there are only four… non-Asians! A Dane, Anders Antonsen, and three Frenchmen: Christo Popov (men’s singles) and the mixed doubles Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel!
“It’s a little bit of pride,” said Bretillian Gicquel. Until now, we were the only French people to have qualified for the Finals, it’s cool to share that with Christo. » Selected among the eight best mixed duos of the season for the third time, the Breton and the Francilienne will be able to serve as guides to the Provençal. Even if they expect a very different 2025 edition.
Covid had spoiled the party
“The first time, we arrived without pressure and we made it half (January 2020) but it was in the middle of Covid. The second (December 2022), we don’t leave the pool at the end of the Covid period, not a great memory. There, we are going to play the real World Tour Finals,” enthuses the 26-year-old Bretillian.
The eight qualified for the mixed doubles table. (BWF document)
Especially since they will enter the courts of the Olympic Expo Center (10,000 seats) with a completely different status. Back in 5th place in the world, Gicquel and Delrue won, this season, a historic first Super 1000 for the French and a very nice world bronze medal. Enough to be perceived differently by the top planetary pairs? “Probably a little since we showed that we could beat almost everyone (only the Chinese pairs No.1 and No.2 in the world resist them: four defeats in four duels), says Gicquel. I think it will be different if, within a year, we manage to be more solid, at least in the semi-finals at each tournament. There, we achieved great results but also some less good ones. »
The suit is no longer too big
And the format of these finals: two groups of four, then semi-finals and final, close to that of the Olympics and different from the direct elimination tables, appeals to them. “Your brain is not used to handling these stressful moments when you are doing calculations to get through the half. If we could get to know them two or three times before the Los Angeles Games (2028), that would be great. »
And proof that the qualified costume – no more than the “half-made one ordered for the BWF gala which precedes the competition” – does not scare them, the Flume Ille Badminton player (35) is not against quickly challenging Jiang – Wei (1st match of the group stage, Wednesday December 17) or Feng – Huang, in front of their audience. “It’s better to play them in a group than in a half. » Especially since they will be under pressure after losing the world title in Paris this summer. “I don’t envy Chinese stars who get arrested all the time in the street, like footballers back home. In Indonesia, where we had good results, we were recognized around the room but that was it. »
In the event of a performance against the locals, how would the public of the country of badminton react, with its 202 medals in the history of the Worlds, far ahead of Indonesia (80)? “There, the spectators are rather neutral and only get excited when there are Chinese on the court. Otherwise, for them to be interested in you, you have to be very, very strong! »
That’s good, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue have every intention of overturning the big table on which they now have their napkin rings!
James Whitfield is Archysport's racket sports and golf specialist, bringing a global perspective to tennis, badminton, and golf coverage. Based between London and Singapore, James has covered Grand Slam tournaments, BWF World Tour events, and major golf championships on five continents. His reporting combines on-the-ground access with deep knowledge of the technical and strategic elements that separate elite athletes from the rest of the field. James is fluent in English, French, and Mandarin, giving him unique access to athletes across the global tennis and badminton circuits.
