At the P2000 of WinWin Padel Cabriès, Thomas Seux et Nathan Courrin have just secured their place in the semi-finals. Meet a pair on the rise.

A first for Thomas…

“Is this your first time in the P2000 semi-finals?”
— Nathan: No, it's the second one for me, against Loïc Le Panse and Bastien Blanqué in Toulouse, with Johan Bergeron. We lost 6-3 in the third. A good memory nonetheless.
— Thomas: For me, it's the first. And I'm very happy. We came close on several P2000s. A few match points, 5-5s in the third set... Too many times. Now, we've turned a corner. It feels good to finally be there.

We particularly remember your match in La Rochelle, lost 7/6 in the third against Maigret/Inzerillo…
— Thomas : Yes, we had some very tough defeats.
— Nathan : There, on the other hand, we played a great match. 6/3 – 6/0, it was a no-brainer.

A simple and effective tactic

How did you approach this quarter against a pair you know well?
— Nathan: We knew thatAlex Toppin could be very annoying to play, because he fights a lot. He is comfortable outdoors. We play indoors all year round. So, we chose to play a lot on Nicolas, because we know that he defends more in the half-volley. By advancing quickly to the net, we could physically get into him. It's him (pointing at Thomas) the tactician is the track manager!
— Thomas : I'm the oldest, but sometimes we spend more time manage ourselves than thinking about the opponent...

Why do you sometimes “spin”?
— Thomas: Because we're a little crazy. We try to focus our energy. Today, we managed to be more consistent. When we stay focused on ourselves, it works.

A confident pair after good international results

You've had some great runs in the FIP (quarter-finals in Silver, semi-finals in Bronze). Does that play a role in your progress?
— Thomas : Yes, it helps. We beat two players from the world top 115.
— Nathan : When you start playing guys as fast as that, you get used to a high paceSo when you come back to France, you're a little more comfortable. But it also puts a little pressure on you. People tell you, "We're counting on you," "We're waiting for you." Unconsciously, you feel like they're waiting for you.

Objective: to complete the tournament

Tomorrow is the semifinal. The bracket has opened. The number one seed has been determined. What's the goal?
— Nathan : Clearly, Win. When we come to a tournament, we don't say to ourselves "I hope to reach the semi-finals." No. We want go to the end. It's not always easy. Sometimes you get Ben and Max on the first lap... We love them, but they're assholes (laugh). There we are seeded 4, so a little protected, and we feel that it is playable.

You'll be physically fresher tomorrow, right?
— Nathan : Yes, the two potential teams facing us will have already played three matches. We are supposed to be fresher. And we assumes to be favorites.
— Thomas : We're holding the fort physically. We train for it. And then, a good Sunday is just not to be refused!

A busy FIP program

Are you continuing on the FIP circuit?
— Thomas: Yes. We are registered for Hamburg next week. Then Perugia, if we can. And then there is Bandol, next to the house.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

On the same subject

Tags