The Ligue 2 badminton poster between Neufchâteau and Tournai kept all its promises this Wednesday evening. At the end of a hotly contested meeting, the two teams parted with a logical split, 4-4. A result which allows Neufchâteau to maintain a one-point lead in the general classification at the end of the first round.
However, the evening could have turned upside down. Everything came down to the last single, with maximum pressure on the shoulders of Thomas Lagasse, player from Neufchâteau. In three sets and at the end of an intense fight, he managed to win and give his team a draw. Final summit duel score: 4-4.
“When I entered the field, I knew it was the match that was going to decide Interclub, so I was quite stressed. In the third set, I decided to play a lot more aggressive, and it paid off,” he explains.
Before this outcome, Neufchâteau had made the difference in its strong sector: doubles. Strong and experienced, the Chestrolais led 3-1 after the four doubles matches. But in singles, Tournai, younger and more explosive, gradually returned to the game.
On the Tournaisian side, the draw is welcomed with mixed feelings
“We are still happy with the equality, because we had to ensure here to be able to pick them up on the way back. But we could have done better if we had given ourselves a little more effort in doubles,” recognizes Thomas Carlier.
For Neufchâteau, this sharing is above all strategic. It allows the leader to stay ahead at mid-season, in a very tight championship.
“The 4-4 leaves us first in the division. After the doubles, we knew that this result could be enough. If we keep this point ahead, we will be champions,” underlines Anathan Neumans, captain and coach.
This season is special for the Chester club. For the first time in its history, Neufchâteau is playing in Ligue 2 with a completely recomposed team, made up of six new players from different provinces. Despite this, the chemistry quickly took off. The title race is far from over. Everything could be decided in the return match, against the same opponent, in mid-April.
