Sunday August 2, the CBBL (Cote Basque Bearn Landes de Tennis) league organized its regional stages to send a pair of men and one pair of women to the final stages of the French championships in padel which will take place on October 17 and 18 at Padel Club Lyon (Central Padel).

The league of CBBL was the 13e league to embark on the adventure of the French championships. The Tennis Club Luzien with its 2 courts was logically the club chosen by the league for the organization of the events.

The Tennis Club Luzien: " Already more than 10 years of padel »

Part of the history of padel starts here at Tennis Club Luzien in Saint Jean de Luz. The grounds have not escaped their past. Worn out, tired, of course, but padel all the same in a magnificent setting with the mountains and a blue sky in the background.

The president of the Tennis Club Luzien and general secretary of the CBBL league, Jean-Yves MAISONNAVE explains to us that " these lands already have more than 10 years ". President and local players therefore hope for help from the municipality for " at least renovate those lands that badly need it ».

On grounds so all concrete from floor to wall, TC Luzien hosted the first regional phase of the French championships of padel after having already hosted a regional phase of Beach Tennis 5 years ago.

In women, the rankings respected

Yes, there were only 2 pairs present in women. But these 2 pairs have shown us that the CBBL league has great potential at the national level. The first match was already a final. The winning pair won the right to participate in the finals in Lyon next October. " No time for a warm-up lap ».

On paper, there was necessarily an advantage in both -2/6, Camille MAISONNAVE (TC Luzien) and Alice TISSET (St Pierre d'Irube). 2 feared competitors in tennis tournaments. In front of them, a courageous pair, passionate and very far from creating an illusion: Yani LI (USPA) and Laura DE AIZPURA (TC Luzien), ranked respectively 15 and 5/6. The first set is won 6/2 by the No. 1 seeds. The second set is a little more complicated with long exchanges under a blazing sun. Despite great resistance, the underdogs had to fold definitively in the second set (6/3).

As explains Jean-Yves MAISONNAVE « Camille MAISONNAVE and Alice TISSET have very little padel behind them ". By playing more regularly, they clearly have an opportunity to hurt during the final stages. They also have the huge advantage of having a ranking that will allow them to avoid, in large part, the big French pairs in the first games.

For men: Confusion in the top seeds

With 8 teams and some pairs particularly close in terms of level, we had to expect complicated confrontations.

Among the 8 pairs present, all profiles were met. Some with more tennis than padel and vice versa.

On paper, unlike the women, you should not dwell too much on the tennis rankings, because if some pairs like the seed n ° 1, the PUCHEUX brothers, were very dangerous, they did not have enough padel in the arms to win this weekend against players with more than padel at the meter. But with in these ranks a former negative Cédric PUCHEUX (currently 0) and Kevin PUCHEUX 3e at the Basque Pelota World Championship (15 / 2), it's a safe bet that we'll find them at the top soon. They will finish 3e of the competition.

Logically, the two most experienced pairs padel found themselves in the final: Raphaël JANNEL (2/6) / Yohan PONCHET (15/1), seeded n ° 2 and Justin GARNIER (2/6) / Franck BINISTI (30/5). Unlike the other matches, we had the right to a lot more lobs and exchanges and 2 hours of match.

In the first set, Raphaël JANNEL, the former French Beach Tennis champion and Yohan PONCHET, the former negative, put the pressure on the opposing pair from the first game by winning white. Raphaël JANNEL does not hesitate to unleash a few big smashes while Yohan Ponchet distills a few murderous balls in his diagonal. They will make the break at the best of times at 6/5 to win this first set 7/5.

If Franck Binisti, was particularly consistent throughout the game unlike his lost final of the Padel Infinity in Perpignan (Club du Mas), Justin Garnier was on the contrary more often on alternating current, with at times absences especially at the start of the match.

In the second set, Raphaël JANNEL and Yohan PONCHET were slack after winning this first set and thus revived their opponents. It didn't take more for Justin Garnier to charge. His match seemed to take off. Won 6 games to 2, BINISTI / GARNIER thus came back to 1 set everywhere.

The time of the super tie-break had come to allow one of the two pairs to reach the finals.

 The pair JANNEL / PONCHET leaves feet to the floor to lead quickly 3 / 0 then 4 / 1.

That's when the " Garnier Show Began: Cushioned retro, against backhand smash and… one thigh less after a hard hit on the fence.

On the 11 points that followed, the pair BINISTI / GARNIER won 9 to conclude with a 10 / 6 liberator.

During the award ceremony (tennis, golf and padel) at the magnificent Chantaco golf club, were present Catherine LACOSTE, Véronique SMONDACK. Catherine SABBAG NAHOUM (from the Philippe CHATRIER foundation), the two Presidents of the Golf and Tennis Federations: Jean-Lou CHARON and Jean GACHASSIN, the President of the CBBL League Eliane HEBRAUD and the general secretary Jean-Yves MAISONNAVE.

The regional phases are continuing with a priori a final stage in Essonne on September 5th.

Franck Binisti - PADEL MAGAZINE
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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