Just minutes after their semi-final defeat to the invincible pair Tison/Forcin, Jeremy Garcia et Alexis Coulombeau spoke to each other in the heat of the moment. Lucid, disappointed but smiling, they looked back on their performance, the lessons learned from the match, and their desire to continue to improve.

A perfect start

Jeremy Garcia:
We started very well. We didn't miss much, they struggled to get into the match, they made mistakes. We were 0-40 in their first service game and we broke right away. That gave us confidence, and they probably didn't. It's a bit like the same scenario as in Bordeaux: a very solid first set from us, and then it got tougher, they got stronger.

Alexis Coulombeau:
Yes, even if it came down to a close call. We're off to a great start; tactically, what we're putting in place is working right away. But they're experienced, they know how to adapt. Max is ramping up, we're slowing down a bit, and the details make the difference.

Another defeat… in the third set

This isn't the first time you've lost a set to them. You're the only ones to have lost two sets to them this season, even if it was in two different matches. Does that make the loss even more frustrating?

Jeremy:
Yes, we've had two matches where we've taken the first set from them each time. We're always tactically strong at the start, they're a bit of a dilettante at the beginning, and we take advantage of that. But then they adjust, they find solutions. And we're missing a bit more, especially on the lobs. The wind picked up, which played a role. But that's also what padel is all about: details, important moments, and today they're the ones who handled them better.

Alexis:
Even in the third, they break first, we come back, we have a break point at the end. We're not that far behind. I even think some thought it was match point... but we're very close, yes.

Garcia versus Tison: a duel that repeats itself

Julien Seurin said yesterday that you were perhaps one of the only ones who could hold the diagonal against Benjamin Tison. Twice, you pushed him to 6/4 or 7/5 in the third. Do you think you're at that level?

Jeremy:
I don't think I'm at his level or his experience. But I try to defend as best I can, to play an extra ball. It's my style of play, so I stick to it. And in this configuration, it worked pretty well. We hung on. Even after the break in the third, I thought we were going to collapse... and actually no, we stayed united, we believed in it until the end.

On the way to the French championships?

Are you both playing regionals?

Alexis and Jeremy:
Yes, we're playing in Normandy. We haven't qualified for the French championships yet, but we hope to be there. That would be great.

Players who are on the rise and who keep smiling

A meteoric rise, especially for you Alexis. And you, Jérémy, we've been seeing you on the slopes for ten years now. I remember playing you back then... and beating you, which is rare enough to be worth noting!

Jeremy:
(Laughs) It's true, it goes back a long way. But yes, I'm glad we're where we are today.

Alexis:
And it's true that we try to remain accessible. We come and talk after matches, even after a defeat. That's also the mindset we want to maintain.

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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