Godallier / Martin: A new adventure, a bet, a dream team

Our French elite set out to conquer the international market. This time, it's the turn of Mélissa Martin and Léa Godallier, our 100% French pair, to try the adventure and confirm to us that she has the ambition to play on all stages of the World Padel Tour. She looks back on her news with humor and obviously talks about her future….

A good first semester 2019, even if there may be some but ...

Léa Godallier (Léa) - After a complicated start to the first tournament of the season at Beausoleil in March, we managed to recover at P2000 in Valenciennes by keeping our seeded rank 1. Obviously, Alix Collombon, Jessica were missing Ginier and Laura Clergue. But when they're not there, we run the store (Laughter).

The other point that was not so obvious was the organization for our training with Mel. My partner was in Madrid at the beginning of the year and me in Bordeaux, but we managed to get organized so as to train together.

We win a P1000 in Bordeaux then we make two finals in P2000 against Alix and Jess and a half last weekend at P2000 Aix.

Since the end of May, Mel has moved to Bordeaux to train with me, Jorge and JT Peyrou (Coaches at 4PADEL Bordeaux).

Melissa Martin (Mel) - Regarding the WPT, we have not yet managed to pass the pre-warning so it would be the "minus" of this first half.

And about me, the big least would be my left hand injury that I have since 1 months now ...

What do you think it takes to work on a course?

Mel - This course we have to go through is about our involvement in the tough games around important moments. Perhaps we still lack foresight and confidence to get the most important points of the matches.

On the WPT, apart from the first Open, the 3 others, we lose in the last round of the preprevias on matches that are still very close. We're not far away! We lack this little consistency throughout a match in order to impose our game.

Léa - The circuit allowed me to realize that the physical and the mental are two very important concepts. Technically, there is everything on the circuit and in general all the girls play well. The difference is made at the physical and mental level. And sometimes that can fail us in long matches.

Is there a Collombon / Ginier plan?

Lea - It's clear that Jess and Alix seem untouchable. Their last defeat against uFrench pair goes back a long way. But precisely, every time we play them, it's a huge challenge. We had a set ball at the P2000 Bordeaux, this is one of the only occasions that I had for several months (we will say same year 🙂) And it is in these moments that we must not miss the checkmark.

A plan against them ... when they are having a good day I would say "survive" (Laughter)

And for the strategy I would say that it's already complicated to hang them, so if in addition I give a "possible strategy" it's shooting yourself in the foot (Laughs).

Direction international and World Padel Tour...

Mel: -On the international level we started playing the WPT together and we actually intend to play them all together.

We were fortunate at the beginning of the season to have had wild cards for each tournament.

Unfortunately the number of wild card requests and players increasing our wild card requests at each tournament were denied on 2 tournaments and we did not have enough points to enter the tournament.

We could do like others and try to play the WPT with players with more points but we prefer for the moment to take the risk of trying to enter the next WPT together hoping to play it and get more points .

So the goal for next season is to have enough points to play all the tournaments of the WPT together and be able to set clear objectives at the international level.

Léa - Next year will certainly be the first big year for us 100% Spanish. Mel and I will have finished moving to Madrid. We will have our coach Jorge de Benito who will be there and who will coach us and coach on the WPT.

A new adventure, a bet, a dream team, our companions are with us. So we'll go all the way and then we'll see ...

Mélissa, when with your two hands? (Editor's note. Injury to the left hand)

Mel - Ah my hand ... this famous hand! There are several versions of the way I broke it ... So I want to tell you that Lorenz, my companion, has nothing to do with it ... For once (Laughter).

I slapped my hand against the grid trying to catch up with a cushion from Mr. Peyrou in training.

And she broke. I did not think it was possible to break it like that ... Well now I know.

In 2 weeks, I remove the orthosis, it will certainly be better then.

Léa - I'm sure she's taking off this orthosis because every time she finds herself close to the gate wherever she falls (because she falls, yes) I'm afraid she'll break something else ...

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.