Reunion will be well represented in the last four of the  2025 French Youth Championships  in U16, thanks to the superb course of Ethan Vallon Hoarau and Hugo Saintot  (pair 12). The two Reunion Island players, trained at  Reunion Island Padel Club  by Mickaël Grenier, will play their U16 semi-final this Friday against the tournament's big favorites,  Johan Peloux and Quentin Bernard (seeded number 1) .

Performance beyond expectations

Captain of the Reunion selection,  Rodolphe Pouliquen  highlights the merit of his two protégés:

"Ethan and Hugo are a little underclassified for their level, especially Ethan. In Reunion, it's difficult for young people to score points. They play a lot against adults in P500, which doesn't always reflect their true ranking. We knew they weren't in their place, that there was something to be done here."

Thanks to a favourable table and good consistency in the game, the Reunion Islanders were able to seize their chance.

"We were hoping to reach the semi-finals, and they did. It's not undeserved either: they played well and fulfilled their contract. It's a nice surprise, even though we knew they had potential," added the captain.

Vallon Hoarau / Saintot: the surprise from Reunion Island that challenges the number 1 seed
Rodolph Pouliquen Vallon Hoarau / Saintot: the surprise from Réunion that challenges the number 1 seed

A prestigious semi-final

The challenge looks set to be a big one against Peloux and Bernard, but the Reunion camp intends to approach this meeting with serenity.

"Playing a French Championship semi-final when you come from Réunion is no small feat. The idea is to stay calm, to talk with them to relieve the pressure. On paper, the opposing team is well above, but we'll try to make them doubt. After all, a match is still a match," confides Rodolphe Pouliquen.

The young hopefuls from Reunion Island will therefore have the opportunity to continue their adventure at the Country Club d'Aix, after the women's semi-final.

Additional information:

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.

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