Frustrated, disappointed, and at the same time so close to the feat against the seeded number 1 of the European Games Women's Open table, Jessica Ginier and Lucile Pothier delivered an incredible match against two players from the top 40 worldwide and came very close to reaching the semi-finals.

Robin Haziza, the captain of the France team, came back with us on this match:

“Need to breathe, need to digest for Jess and Lucile as the feat was so close. We really looked eye to eye at this Spanish pair.

In this first set, we lost it 7/5, but in my opinion, we deserved better, there were opportunities at 3 everywhere and in the 7th game with break points that we couldn't achieve. And above all, we played better than the Spaniards.

In the second set, the French play much better and it's quite logical to win this second set 6/4 with this DNA that characterizes Jess and Lucile, a lot of courage, a lot of energy. Tactically, we were also better by focusing on the player on the right, by lobbing too.

Lucile had an almost perfect match. Perfect would have been to win the game. She projected herself forward, she varied the shots, chiquita, lob, with very good transition games.

After a battle in the second set, we start the 3rd set that we didn't want to do, we commit 3 unforced errors which will immediately put us in the hard spot from the first game of the set and make us run behind. We got lobbed much more easily than in the second set. We can imagine a little bit of a drop in physical regimen. We are a few centimeters away from coming back in this 3rd set, it is in no way. I'm thinking of that volley from Jess taking the tape when we almost won the point. We are very close to the feat.

The girls were exemplary. Tactically, they kept the thread. They were bold and courageous like Charlotte Soubrié and Carla Touly.

It's obviously frustrating. Even if we gave everything, there is obviously a time when we will have to digest this defeat. We were close to this Spanish team which on paper was better than the French team, which trains a lot more, which participates in many international tournaments, but on the track, the French showed very good things, encouraging for the continuation of the international adventure.”

The adventure is not over for the France team. The last French hope for a medal chance lies with Leygue/Pothier.

Leygue / Pothier: last French hopes for a medal at the European Games
Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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