After a very successful run at  London Premier Padel P1  Alongside Thomas Leygue, which ended in defeat against Juan Lebron and Leo Augsburger, Clément Geens returned to Padel Magazine on this match, the difficulties encountered, the tactical choices of the Franco-Belgian duo and the differences between Thomas Leygue and Dylan Guichard, two partners he knows well.

"They prevented us from playing at our best."

Despite the defeat, the Belgian has no regrets about the attitude he displayed.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t play our best match of the tournament. But we also have to acknowledge that our opponents were far stronger, at least today, and that they played at an exceptional level. They never gave us the space we needed to get into the game and play at our best.”

Geens also acknowledges that his team let some avoidable points slip away.

“We also made a few small mistakes that we could have avoided. Was it due to stress or rushing things? It’s hard to say. But at this level, these small mistakes are immediately punished.”

Nevertheless, he prefers to focus on the positive.

"We gave it our all, and that's the most important thing. Thomas and I had a great tournament, and that's obviously very satisfying."

Believing in the feat, an obligation

Before facing a pair of the caliber of Lebron / Augsburger, the mental aspect is paramount.

"When you step onto the court against players like them, you have to believe 100% that you can win. If you don't completely believe it before even scoring the first point, you've already lost the match. That's the basic principle."

The duo had also prepared a precise tactical plan, although it was never really able to be implemented.

"We had several things we wanted to put in place, but they prevented us from doing so. It's not just because we executed our plan poorly, it's also because they played very well."

A strategy focused on Augsburger

Geens reveals the main points of the plan drawn up before the match.

"Defensively, the idea was to play hard on Leo Augsburger's volley to create more opportunities to hit lobs. LeBron is much more aggressive at the net, so when we could play a higher lob, we tried to direct it towards him. Against Leo, with his smash ability, it's much more complicated."

Another objective: to prevent Augsburger from occupying the centre of the field.

"Thomas sometimes had to focus on Leo's backhand volley so that he couldn't come too far over the middle and smash over LeBron."

In the offensive phase, the priority was also clear.

"We wanted to keep Augsburger at the back of the court and trap him more behind the baseline. LeBron is much better at constructing points from the baseline and he dictates the game considerably."

Although this strategy remained largely invisible during the match, Geens confirms that it was indeed the initial plan.

Thomas Leygue and Dylan Guichard, two very different profiles

When asked about the differences between Thomas Leygue and Dylan Guichard, two players with whom he shared the track, Clément Geens emphasizes above all their respective qualities.

"I enjoy playing with both of them. They are both excellent players, but with completely different styles."

He then describes the characteristics of Thomas Leygue.

"Thomas is more of a classic right-handed player. He has a powerful smash and sometimes likes to take up more space in the middle, especially when the ball goes out. In defense, he builds up play a lot with lobs and stays a bit deeper."

Conversely, Dylan Guichard offers a more creative approach.

“Dylan brings more variety to the defense. He uses the chiquitas a lot, sometimes plays in a line, and he’s faster in transitions. Plus, one is right-handed and the other left-handed, which greatly changes how points are constructed.”

For Geens, it is therefore not a question of determining which one is the best.

"They both play very well. They simply have two very different playing styles."

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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