Eliminated in qualifying, sent home, urgently called back, without a hotel and not even knowing if they would actually be able to play: Vici Kurz and Anna Ortiz are living a completely crazy story at the Paris Major. Given a bye as lucky losers after Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen withdrew, they benefited from a bye before beating Camila Ramme and Brittany Dubins 6-3, 6-0. Now they're in the round of 16 at Roland-Garros. They recount this improbable adventure to the microphone of Padel Magazine. 

When  Vici Kurz and Anna Ortiz  They bowed out in the final round of qualifying, their Paris Major seems to be over.

The two players leave Paris and are already starting to think about the rest of their schedule. But the withdrawal of  Tamara Icardo / Claudia Jensen  will completely disrupt their plans.

And above all, to provoke a rather unbelievable day.

"We were trying to play FBI agents."

Vici Kurz says she left Paris that morning and returned home around 14 p.m. when she started receiving messages about Tamara Icardo's situation.

At that point, nothing was yet certain.

“A lot of people were sending us messages saying that Tamara was hurt and that they didn’t know what was going to happen. I called Anna and said, ‘What do we do?’ We were kind of trying to play FBI agents to figure out what was going to happen.”

A decision must be made quickly, however.

If a spot opens up, Kurz and Ortiz can be drawn into the main draw. But for that to happen, they still need to be in Paris.

“We knew she was injured, but we didn’t know if she would play. So we had to take the risk of coming back. For me, it was a five-hour journey. Luckily, Anna was able to catch a flight that evening.”

The two players are therefore returning to the capital.

 Without even knowing if the trip will be worthwhile. 

Arrived at 1 a.m.... without a hotel

The return trip was improvised from beginning to end.

"We arrived around one in the morning. We didn't even have a hotel booked when we decided to come back."

And upon waking, still no certainty.

Kurz and Ortiz arrive at Roland-Garros without knowing if they will actually be part of the draw.

“This morning, we came here not knowing if we were going to play. It was only around 12:30 that we learned we were finally going to be in the draw. It was completely crazy.”

Another destination had already been planned: the two players were supposed to go to  Netherlands to compete in a FIP Silver  if the Parisian door did not open.

In the end, there was no need to leave.

"We had two options: cry or laugh."

This uncertainty could have been difficult to manage. The two players chose instead to laugh it off.

Vici Kurz perfectly sums up the mindset of the pair:

"When Anna arrived last night, I think we had two options: cry or laugh. We laughed a lot."

And for the German woman, their relationship off the track played an important role in this adventure.

"I'm glad we experienced this together. If you don't have good vibes with your partner, this kind of trip would be impossible."

A few hours later, this mix of relaxation and desire will be found on the track.

A goodbye, then a demonstration

The sporting scenario is equally unique.

By reclaiming the space left vacant in this part of the table,  Kurz/Ortiz receive a bye in the first round .

They then face  Camila Ramme Coellar / Brittany Dubins , who came through the qualifying rounds and defeated Ivet Val López / Louise Bahurel in the previous round.

This time, Kurz and Ortiz leave no room for doubt:  6 / 3 6 / 0 .

A victory that sends them directly to  round of 16 of the Paris Major .

Anna Ortiz explains this performance by the state of mind with which they entered the track.

“We simply went into it thinking it was an opportunity and that anything that happened would be positive. I think the will to win and the fight we showed today got us this far.”

And she agrees with her partner on one essential point:

“Playing with a friend makes a huge difference. I think the best part of it all is who you share it with and the people around you.”

Kurz: "I don't think that's entirely accurate."

But Vici Kurz is not hiding behind their success.

When asked about this very particular situation created by the format of the table and the lucky loser status, the German readily acknowledges that they benefited from extremely favorable circumstances.

“We were extremely lucky. Of course, we had to seize this opportunity, but I don’t think it’s entirely fair.”

This statement is all the more interesting as it comes directly from one of the main beneficiaries of the system.

Kurz goes even further by discussing the general workings of the draws and the advantages given to the top seeds:

"For me, everyone should start from scratch and have to prove themselves on the track to win the tournament."

But she is obviously not trying to downplay what they have just accomplished.

"For us, today, it worked. And we are extremely lucky."

Victory also changes everything for the points

Their success against Ramme / Dubins also holds particular importance.

Kurz explains that due to their status as lucky losers and the bye they received,  A defeat in their first match would not have allowed them to benefit from all the points normally associated with reaching the next round. .

But by winning, the situation changes:

"Now that we've won, we're normally in the draw. We're in the round of 16, so we'll get the points and prize money corresponding to the round of 16."

Luck allowed them to return to the tournament.

 The victory allowed them to transform this opportunity into a genuine sporting achievement. 

Even their bench had to be improvised.

The story is so unexpected that even their team's organization had to be urgently rebuilt.

After their elimination in the qualifiers, their coach  Sara  She had also left.

“Since we had lost and gone home, Sara had also gone back home. Everything happened so fast that we didn’t even have time to ask her to come back with us,” Ortiz said.

The two players therefore sought a solution for their bench.

 Angel Vici Kurz's coach was finally able to accompany them, while other members of their entourage already had commitments.

Kurz even recounts that they asked for help from  Cristian , a friend's coach, in case no other solution was possible.

A solidarity that particularly touched her:

"I think that's also what defines padel: we're a family and everyone reaches out to help each other. I'm very grateful for that."

“Lucky losers” become “lucky winners”

In the space of a few hours,  Vici Kurz and Anna Ortiz have therefore gone from elimination to the round of 16 of a Major. .

They went home. They checked their phones to see if a spot might open up. They hit the road and the plane again. They returned without a hotel. They showed up at Roland-Garros not knowing if they would play. They learned they had been given a second chance just hours before their match.

Then they won  6 / 3 6 / 0 .

In the next round, the challenge will be considerably greater against the  seeded 13, Carolina Orsi / Patricia Llaguno .

But after such an adventure, the term  "Lucky losers"  seems almost outdated.

In Paris,  Vici Kurz and Anna Ortiz are currently the "lucky winners" of Roland-Garros. 

Alexandre Prevert

Director & Coach of his high-level Academy in Barcelona: Alexandre shares life on the FIP circuits & Premier Padel !

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