Badminton Top 12: Cholet Secures Draw Against Flume Ille

Badminton BA Cholet secured a hard-fought 3-3 draw against Flume Ille during the second day of the French Top 12 interclubs championship, bouncing back from an opening 6-0 defeat against Chambly according to reports. Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, the Cholet club claimed vital early leads before the visitors fought back through their mixed doubles pairings to level the score.

Early Leads Built by Beulé, Xu, and Singer

Badminton BA Cholet opened the fixture with strong performances from the outset. Mélia Beulé and Wei Xu stepped up in women’s doubles to defeat Herveline Crespel and Kristin Kuuba in three sets (15-7, 9-15, 15-10).

Valentin Singer added a second point for the hosts in men’s singles. Facing Lenny Hubert, the Cholet player dropped the first set before adjusting his tactics to move his opponent around the court, ultimately sealing a three-set win by 10-15, 15-10, 15-12.

Thom Gicquel Sparks the Flume Ille Recovery

Flume Ille countered behind the strength of mixed doubles world champion Thom Gicquel. Partnering with Baptiste Labarthe in men’s doubles, Gicquel defeated Jordan Corvée and Arsène Serre in straight sets (8-15, 10-15) to narrow the overall team deficit. Léonice Huet subsequently secured at least a draw for Cholet by overcoming Kristin Kuuba 15-9, 15-10 in women’s singles.

The visiting side capitalized on the remaining matches to force a deadlock. Corvée and Huet (15-13, 10-15, 12-15), and Labarthe pairing with Crespel to defeat Serre and Beulé (8-15, 9-15)—to finalize the 3-3 draw.

President Jean-Claude Arnou Assesses the Team’s Potential

Reflecting on the outcome, Badminton BA Cholet president Jean-Claude Arnou expressed satisfaction with the team’s resilience after their difficult start to the season. “We thought we might grab one of the two, but 3-3 is very good. He added that tactical adjustments to the lineup revealed significant potential and a strong team spirit.”

The 3-3 final scoreline leaves both clubs managing the early stages of the Top 12 interclubs campaign as league fixtures continue.