French Badminton Faces Mixed Results: Silver at All England, Success on Home Soil

BIRMINGHAM & PARIS – A week of high highs and near misses for French badminton players culminated in a silver medal at the prestigious All England Open, alongside strong performances across multiple international and domestic tournaments. Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue came agonizingly close to a historic victory, while younger players and domestic stars continued to impress.

All England Open: Gicquel and Delrue Secure Silver

Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue reached the final of the Yonex All England Open, a first for a French mixed doubles pair. Despite a strong start in the final, the fifth-ranked duo fell to Taiwan’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Chan in two sets, 21-19, 21-18, on Sunday in Birmingham. The French pair had previously defeated the Taiwanese duo twice, including during their run to a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris last year, but couldn’t replicate that success on this occasion.

Gicquel and Delrue had a comfortable lead in the first set, reaching 18-14, but Ye and Chan mounted a comeback to secure the opening game. The French pair struggled to regain momentum in the second set, falling behind early and ultimately succumbing to the Taiwanese challenge. This marked a significant achievement for Gicquel and Delrue, building on their Super 1000 title win in Indonesia last June, but the taste of silver will undoubtedly fuel their ambition for future tournaments.

Adding to the French success at the All England Open, Christo Popov achieved a historic feat by becoming the first player of the Super Series/World Tour era to qualify for the quarterfinals in both men’s singles and men’s doubles. Competing alongside his brother, Toma Junior Popov, the pair battled their way through the rounds, even defeating former world number one Japanese duo Hoki/Kobayashi and the seventh-ranked Gutama/Isfahani. However, their run ended in the quarterfinals, with Christo also falling in the singles quarterfinals to Lin Chun Yi.

Portugal International Series: Taipei Dominance Continues

Across Europe, at the Portugal International Series, French players also faced tough competition, particularly from Taiwanese pairs. Natan Begga and Elsa Jacob reached the final in mixed doubles but were defeated by WU Hsang-Yi and YANG 21-18, 21-14. Begga also competed in men’s doubles with Grégoire Deschamp, falling to a Danish pair, NEBEL/SOBY, 18-21, 16-21. Agathe Cuevas and Kathell Desmots-Chacun also secured a silver medal, losing to another Taiwanese duo, LIN/YANG, 26-28, 10-21.

German Junior Open: Mady Sow Continues Impressive Form

In Lüdinghausen, Germany, Mady Sow continued his impressive run in junior tournaments, reaching the semifinals of the Yonex German Open Junior. He secured five victories before being defeated by Chinese player LUO Jing Yu 21-16, 21-12. This followed a similar performance at a tournament in the Netherlands the previous week, solidifying his position as a rising star in French badminton.

French Elite Circuit: Mulhouse Dominates

On the domestic front, players from Mulhouse dominated the French Elite Circuit stage in Village-Neuf. Imka Putrama Arlin won the men’s singles title, defeating Thomas Fourcade 21-18, 21-15, while Saifi Rizka Nurhidayah triumphed in the women’s singles, beating Irdina Mirza 21-15, 21-19. Lucas Corvée and Lucas Claerbout secured gold in men’s doubles and Téa Marguerite and Carla Martinez won the women’s doubles title. In mixed doubles, Sharone Bauer and Lucas Corvée defeated QI Xuefei and YU Jiahao in the final.

The tournament also saw surprises in the Series 2 category, with Luc Thalmann and Camille Raynaud emerging victorious in their respective singles events. Raynaud’s path to victory was particularly dramatic, narrowly qualifying for the semifinals after a close three-set match and then winning the final 21-19 in another tight contest.

French Youth Circuit: Huguet Follows in Mother’s Footsteps

At the CEJ4 tournament in L’Haÿ-les-Roses, Meilyn Huguet, the daughter of former badminton player Hongyan Pi, showcased her talent by winning both the singles and mixed doubles (with Louka Bihan) titles in the Benjamin 1 category. In the Minimes category, Mathis Fricot won the singles title, defeating Valentin Brossard 21-13, 21-16. Raphaël Chauchaut and Lucile Auda won the mixed doubles title, overcoming Fricot and Lila Mousson in a thrilling three-set final.

Looking Ahead: Swiss Open and Spanish Junior Open on the Horizon

This week, attention turns to the Yonex Swiss Open in Basel. While the French heroes from Birmingham are taking a short break to prepare for the Orleans Masters, a tiny French delegation will compete, led by Arnaud Merkle in men’s singles. Eloi Adam and Léo Rossi will face a rematch of the European Team Championships final against the Danish pair Astrup/Rasmussen, while Lucas Renoir and Maël Cattoen and the duo of Julien Maio/Léa Palermo will also be in action.

Meanwhile, a number of young French players will compete at the Iberdrola Spanish Open Junior in Oviedo, Spain, starting Friday, March 15th, hoping to build on the success of their senior counterparts. The French Para-Badminton circuit will also continue with the fourth stage of the season in Massy (91).

The Swiss Open begins on March 10th. Stay tuned to Archysport for updates on all the action.