Back to Europe for our French players. These last two weeks, they were in the Netherlands (Dutch Open 100) then in Denmark (Denmark Open 750). Before challenging the best international players at home: at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin !
Dutch Open :
A lot of disappointment on the French men's singles side. Only Léo Rossi manages to reach the 8th final of the Dutch tournament. He lost to the Chinese Li Shi Feng after having knocked Thomas Rouxel down in three sets. (21/19 16/21 21/19) Quite a performance for the 19 year old player ranked 181st in the world.
On the women's side, Marie Batomene and Xuefei Qi are in good shape. The first signs the best performance of her career by defeating Kirsty Gilmour (ranked 29th in the world) in the first round: 21/19 21/17 but then lost to the Thai Supanida Katethong. Xuefei Qi, semi-finalist of OM 2018, reaches the quarter-finals by successively dominating the Belgian Lianne Tan and the Dutch Eijbergen Soraya De Visch.
Winners of the Orléans Masters 2018, the German pair Lamsfuss & Seidel almost repeated their performance since they were beaten in the final by the Russians Ivanov & Sozonov.
Well known to the Orléans public, the Stoeva sisters conceded only one set to win the Super 100. Delphine Delrue and Léa Palermo are forced to bow to the future quarter winners. (21/12 22/20). Very fit, the Bulgarians could well recreate the surprise at the French Open !
Denmark Open :
The French made Odense tremble from the first day of competition: Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue showed all their talent to beat the Japanese 4th world champions Watanabe/Higashino in one hour of play: 21/19 13/21 21/19. Continuing in the same vein, it was Brice Leverdez who managed to qualify for the 8th finals of the Denmark Open. The number 1 tricolour eliminates in three sets the Indonesian Ginting (number 8 in the world): 16/21 21/19 22/20 !
The 19th world pair then lost to the Taiwanese Chi Ya Cheng and Chi-lin Wang (winner in men's doubles of the OM 2019) as did Brice Leverdez against Tommy Sugiarto. However, very encouraging results which they hoped would help them to surpass themselves at the French Open.
Of note, the return in form of the finalist of the Orleans Masters 2018. Rasmus Gemke who won against the tough Cheuk Yiu Lee then Jonatan Christie. He fell to the untouchable Kento Momota in the quarter-finals without having lost: 21/14 21/23 21/13.
