It's a bit like the year of confirmation for the Toulouse pair Benoît Theard / Thibaud Pech. This historic association has exploded this season with several victories in P1000, 3rd place in P1500 and, to conclude, a final in P2000.

Within the Interclubs N1 2023, Benoît Theard and Thibaud Pech looked back on their exceptional season and their objectives for the coming season.

A more than positive result

Benoit Theard "We won our first P1000 of the season in April. It took a while to happen but it happened. Then, we continued quite a bit and won another P1000 behind. We finished third twice in P1500 and we played our first final in P2000 a few weeks ago, so very positive. "

"In our season, we are playing well. We had some very good results which demonstrate the work we do on a daily basis.. "

Thibaud Pech "We have been training well since the middle of the year. We have more regular training and the results have arrived, which is very positive. But from there to making P2000 finals ! We had never reached the quarter-finals and that was our initial goal. Then we find ourselves playing and beating some very good pairs."

The French Championships, the only black spot

Thibaud Pech "The only negative point is that we did not qualify for the French championships. That was the objective so that’s the big negative point. But behind, we managed to raise our heads and continue to play well. For us, it was super important to bounce back from this end of the season. "

Benoit Theard "We didn't manage it well at all, it was played outdoors, we didn't adapt well, we didn't have the right equipment, not the right shoes. It's our fault too, we must do better on this. Afterwards, we are working on our game. We also have to adapt to the conditions. We play very well in good conditions and as soon as things change a little bit, we have a few things to change about it."

Thibaut Pech

Regular work that ends up paying off

Benoît Theard: "I really think it’s the work we put in every day. We are lucky to have Bastien Blanqué who arrived a year and a half ago. So, he does us good because we play with him almost every day. We have Nico [Trancard] who also returned so the quality of our training is really better. And as a result, we gain in regularity. "

"We also did more tournaments which allowed us to play more matches at a higher level. Before, when we arrived at tournaments, we lacked a little rhythm. And then we start to arrive and play quite well and that's also what allows us to play well at the end of the year. This allowed us to have very good results."

The 2024 objectives

Thibaud Pech "Qualify for the French Championships. We qualified together three years ago and we haven't competed together since. This is a very big goal for us."

Benoit Theard "We can't do all the tournaments. We have a family life, we work and we try to do as many tournaments as possible. So, aim for France. We will try to get a P1500 or a P2000 too. Now that we have made the final, we no longer have a choice. And then, why not do a tournament abroad, to face other pairs. Last year, I did two FIPs with Bastien [Blanqué] and I found it super interesting. So we're not going to do FIP every weekend but why not?. "

Thibaut Pech "The objective is to win as many tournaments as possible in France and to qualify for the French Championships."

The best moments of the season

Benoit Theard "Among the best moments, the first victory in a very big tournament, in P1000, both. As it turned out, there were people there, the tournament was tough. And this one felt good because it was from there that we started to play better, to be more confident. We were missing this victory in a big tournament and we got it. This one was very important for us. "

Thibaud Pech: “There is the final at the P2000 in Strasbourg. Opposite us, we had the Maigret/Bergeron pair. We only had great matches, and qualifying for the final was a great moment. Emotionally, it was very strong. We didn't get the victory but it was nice. It made this season a highlight.”

Gwenaelle Souyri

It was his brother who one day told him to accompany him on a track. padel, since then, Gwenaëlle has never left the court. Except when it comes to going to watch the broadcast of Padel Magazine, World Padel Tour… or Premier Padel…or the French Championships. In short, she is a fan of this sport.

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