INTERNATIONAL SIDE
INDIA OPEN (Super 750) – Double quarter for the Blues
After Alex LANIER’s quarter-final at the Malaysian Super 1000, three Tricolors reached the same stage of the competition at the Indian Super 750, which moved a few kilometers to New Delhi to find the Indira Gandhi Stadium, where the World Championships will take place next August. Thom GICQUEL and Delphine DELRUE (n°8) therefore lost in the quarter-final, defeated in two sets, 6/21 15/21 by the Thais Dechapol PUAVANANUKROH and Supissara PAEWSAMPRAN (n°4), future winners of the tournament. The French duo will still have plenty to be satisfied with this week, notably with a victory in the first round against the Danes Jesper TOFT and Amalie MAGELUND (n°11), their pet peeves, since the Scandinavians had systematically beaten them in their 4 confrontations until then. Christo POPOV (n°7), reached the same level of the competition and lost to Jonatan CHRISTIE (n°5) 19/21 19/21, after two beautiful – but difficult – victories in three long sets against WANG Tzu Wei and Srikanth KIDAMBI.
SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL (International Series) – Natan et Elsa en bronze
With the defeats in the quarter-finals of Enogat ROY and the LALOT-TRESCARTE/GARDON duo, the only French hopes for a title in this International Series tournament rested on Saturday on the shoulders of Natan BEGGA and Elsa JACOB (n°138). Winners of the local No. 3 seeds, the Tricolores fail in the semi-final against the Malaysians LOO/MAISARAH (No. 204) 16/21 13/21.
EGYPT INTERNATIONAL (Para-Badminton Level 2) – Mathis CLÉMENT on the podium
Great operation for Mathis CLEMENT (n°26) in the SL4 category this weekend, where the first Guadeloupean badminton champion of France reached the semi-final of the Egyptian Para-badminton Open. He was defeated by the Indian Sukant KADAM, 3rd in the world and seeded 1 in the tournament with a more convincing performance than in their last confrontations (16/21 15/21). In the same table, Basile THIBOUW (n°73) lost in the quarter-finals in singles and doubles with a Dutch partner.
TO BE CONTINUED THIS WEEK…
The BWF World Tour’s Asian tour continues this week with Masters from IndonesiaSuper 500 tournament, played in the legendary Istora Senayan hall in the heart of the Indonesian capital. If Alex LANIER, the POPOV brothers and the Camille POGNANTE/Margot LAMBERT duo have returned to France, other Tricolores will represent our colors in what is considered the garden of world badminton. Arnaud MERKLE (n°36) will face the Japanese Kodai NARAOKA (n°9). Two mixed pairs – Julien MAIO and Léa PALERMO (n°40) will play the Indians KAPILA/CRASTO (n°17) while Thom GICQUEL and Delphine DELRUE (n°5) will meet other Danes, Mathias CHRISTIANSEN and Alexandra BOJE (n°12), recent finalists of the Indian Super 750. On the men’s doubles side, Eloi ADAM and Léo ROSSI (n°38), European vice-champions, will be competing against the new local darlings Raymond INDRA and Nikolaus JOAQUIN (n°23) and will probably have to face a furious crowd… They have had time to acclimatize since they have been training in Jakarta for more than a week at the premises of the Indonesian Federation.
A number of Tricolores will also be competing in Reykjavik for theOpen d’IslandeFuture Series. The young guard, Lenny HUBERT, Léana LAURENT, Arthur CHARDAIN among others, will represent France.
This weekend, too, French Para-badminton Championships will take place in Ponts-de-Cé (49), from January 23 to 25, with the very best specialists competing, just like the third stage of the Elite circuit in Meylan.
