Unique interview in atypical conditions with Manuel Vives who is celebrating his first selection in Qatar and the left-hander Dylan Guichard after their victory in 3 sets against Chile and the qualification of France for the quarter-finals and THE shock against Italy.

You played a great match, with two difficult first sets that you managed, and a third set won convincingly. Was there a particular strategy to change the dynamics of the match?

Dylan Guichard : “Strategy, no, but we had to fight. It’s true that we entered the match less well, mentally, than two days before. There was a different atmosphere off the pitch, perhaps a bit of fatigue, and a slight drop in motivation at the beginning.”

Manuel Vives : “The feelings were less good than two days ago (against Uruguay). But we continued to fight, and Pablo (the captain) motivated us well from the bench. We were united, and finally, it worked. Afterwards, we were able to play more freely, which allowed us to play much better. But it's true that we didn't really find the tactical key during the first two sets, it was complicated until 5-5 in the second set."

Manu Vives and Dylan Guichard World Interivew

You seem to be very close off the pitch, has that helped?

Dylan Guichard : “Yes, definitely. We have this desire to fight for each other. And when we start to find a bit of tactics and put into place what we have worked on, the match can turn in our favor.”

Manuel Vives : “Yes, the third set, when we finally found each other, everything was flowing well. Personally, I'm not totally satisfied with my level of play today, but happy to have been able to raise our level once in place.”

Dylan Guichard and Manuel Vives World Cup 2024

At the end of the match, there seemed to be a moment of satisfaction. What did you exchange with the captain?

Manuel Vives : “Pablo was very happy that we were able to get that second point, he expected a lot from us. Maybe we didn't fully meet expectations because we could have won in two sets. But in the end, we were able to turn the situation around and win the match, which is positive.”

Dylan Guichard : “I think he is torn. He saw some good things in our end of the match, but he is probably disappointed with our start. We know that we will not be able to afford that tomorrow against Italy. For my part, I will try to be more intense from the warm-up to be ready from the start.”

Do you feel expected for this next match?

Manuel Vives : “Yes, Pablo expects a lot from us, he knows that Dylan is in full swing and that I also have things to contribute. The fact that we finished with a 6-0 in the third shows that we are capable of playing well and winning in two sets if we put everything in place from the beginning. That is why he has expectations, he knows he can count on us.”

Finally, this haircut... Is it a tribute or a new tradition for the worlds?

Manuel Vives : “Actually, it’s to mark the occasion! I’ve been wanting to do something with my hair for a while, because its life expectancy is limited (laughs). To those who don’t like it, I’m starting to get used to it, so be careful, it could become my trademark!”

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.