For the third consecutive year, the Ligue du Lyonnais de Tennis trusted the teams of Padel Central Lyon /Padel club of Lyon to host its regional championship Padel.

Despite a sharply lower participation, due to the large number of tournaments in this summer period on the department, the show was still at the rendezvous.

Lopes / Moreau at the super tie-break against Boulade / Authier

Among the men, among the favorites, the departure of Johan Bergeron in the Toulouse region is compensated by the defectors from the south of Maxime Moreau and Laurent Boulade. Associated respectively with Justin Lopes and François Authier, the numbers 1 in the FFT classification, they were the arch-favorites of the competition and did not disappoint.

The first day of competition was reserved for the lowest ranked 8 pairs. Distributed in 2 pools of 4, only the winners were allowed to join the 6 seeded in the final table of Sunday.

In the 1 pool, after 2 first parts quickly shipped, the Hugot / Begis pair emerged victorious by defeating Ravet / Sanchez

In the pool 2, after a lump on injury during the competition, it is after strict application (but fair) of the rules and learned calculations that the pair Gourin / Bonhomme is qualified after having lost against the second group of hens ( Robin / Maurand).

On Sunday, referee Lionel Mandrillon had prepared a “TMC” table for the 8 pairs still in the race. After ¼ finals without a hitch, the 4 best-ranked teams meet to compete for the 2 finalist places, qualifying for the next stage leading to the French Championships, an avowed objective of each of the competitors still in the running.

At the top of the table, an iron and break defense in each set will be enough for Lopes / Moreau to hold the two Morillon / Desliens bombers (6-4 6-3). On the other side, the pair Authier / Boulade is superior to the number 1 number of the local club, Levrat / Miotto which bows without demerit (6-2 6-3).

The final, for the honorary title of champions of Lyon 2017, is long indecisive before switching during the super tie-break in favor of Moreau / Lopes (3-6 6-3 10-2).

Alix Collombon and Jessica Ginier in grand favorite

For the women, as in many leagues, if not all, participation in these championships is symptomatic of the efforts still to be made in terms of development. Only 5 pairs at the very disparate level had answered "present". Judge instead:

2 semifinals won 6-0 / 6-0 a final 6-0 6-1 won and a third place 6-0 / 6-1.

However, it is out of the question to blame the participants who have all given the best of herself. But obviously, efforts and actions must be made to attract more players to our clubs and of course more competitors.

In terms of results, Alix Collombon and Jessica Ginier confirmed their regional superiority but also demonstrated good progress capable of placing them among the favorites for the national title next September. Indeed the yet ambitious Marie Garranas / Marine Chaleard exploded in flight during the ½ final and the pair stamped Padel Club de Lyon Line Meites / Laurène Bérard despite her experience as a "grandma" and a high level of play could not exist in the final in front of the aggressiveness and consistency of the two "teenagers"

So it is with the label of favorites once again that the Moreau / Lopes - Authier / Boualde pairs in the men's and Ginier / Collombon - Meites / Berard in the ladies', will try to cross the last level leading to the championships of France during inter-regions of 9 and 10 next September.

And it's still on the installation of Padel Central Lyon /Padel Club de Lyon that the best pairs of the leagues of Lorraine, Dauphine-Savoie and Corsicans will try to upset the hierarchy!

Jérôme Bécasset

Jerome Becasset

Jérôme Béasset is the Paquito Navarro of the team Padel Magazine. Offensive on all subjects of the world of padel, he returns to many subjects with an always discerning eye.

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