The Interclub group stage gave its verdict this Saturday. He is in favor of Villa Primrose who won the bingo by beating Clermont-sur-Oise (5-1) to reach the final where they will face the Bretons of Quimperlé, next Saturday November 30, in Colomiers. The latter had a margin of three points before this last day.
Like this year, the Girondins will host three times next year. One more chance to maintain the invincibility experienced this season with this last big victory this Saturday over Clermont sur Oise (5-1) and those against Paris TC and Strasbourg. And like a nice icing on the cake, the final will be played on the clay of Colomiers, the favorite surface of the Primrosiens against the Quimperlois who are more attached to hard courts.
Memories, memories
A final poster which revives some memories for Jean Baptiste Perlant, but also for his captain Édouard-Roger Vasselin and Elliott Benchetrit who beat the Bretons (4-2) at the Talence League Center, at the beginning of December 2019. Their last final had secured their third national title in ten years, which was recalled by Edouard Roger Vasselin who came out with a smile from his double victory with Richard Gasquet (6-3, 6-2). Édouard-Roger, who will celebrate his 41st birthday this Thursday, had gleaned his first star with Paris Lagardère against Patton Rennes where Perlant was then playing. And if almost two decades have passed, the two won like young people the fourth point on the Belgian-Dutch double Collignon -Middelkoop who were the leaders of the opposing group who came to maintain themselves and who did not give up over the six meetings.
“Apart from the three points to be taken which were essential, the slightest difference in sets and also in games was important for them as for us,” underlined Vasselin who had liked this intermediate score of three to one for Villa after the singles. It was the right scenario because at 2 all, the outcome of the match would have been different because we had never won both doubles! »
“He has overcome his fatigue”
And it was a close call because Lucas Bouquet, who started off very well but suddenly stalled, was able to manage “his emotions” to win in 1 hour 22 minutes in the deciding set against Lilian Marmousez in 10 pts. , the equalizer came six minutes later when the Walloon Raphael Collignon – recent winner at the Lyon Challenger – leaned his talent on the broken back of Hugo Grenier (5-7, 3-6). It was Mathias Bourgue’s turn to enter the fray during a more tense match against Maxime Janvier who highlighted his attacking moves. “He threw me off guard from the start,” confided the Bordeaux native. But I quickly regained my composure, then kept three games ahead in the second while leaving him the minimum in the decisive game (10-3). »
That left Richard Gasquet. The Biterrois knew what to expect from the play of Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, ranked in the top 100. It took him two fierce sets, no less than two hours and his legendary crosshand backhand to snatch the last two points (10-7). in the decisive superset) on the service of his opponent who had done everything to destabilize him. Vasselin was relieved: “It was Richard’s victory which overcame his fatigue and turned the match around. We knew then that we could have confidence in the doubles and in particular ours which passed a milestone. As for the high point, it was that of Elliott and Hugo (Benchetrit – Grenier) whose association remains undefeated in these interclubs! » Can’t wait for Colomiers.
Villa Primrose 5 – Clermont-sur-Oise 1
Simple Gasquet (VP) – Dzumhur (CLE): 6-7 (7), 6-1; Grenier (VP) – Collignon (CLE): 5-7, 3-6; Bourgue (VP) – January (CLE): 2-6, 6-3, 10-3.
Doubles Roger-Vasselin/Gasquet (VP) – Middelkoop/Collignon (CLE): 6-3, 6-2; Grenier/Benchetrit (VP) – Dzumhur/Marmousez: 6-4, 6-2.
The other matches Boulogne-Billancourt – Annecy (1-5); Strasbourg – Paris (5-1).
Ranking
Pool A 1. Villa Primrose (12 points); 2. Strasbourg (11 points); 3. Annecy-le-Vieux (11 points); 4. Boulogne-Billancourt (10 points); 5. Clermont-sur-Oise (8 points); 6. Paris TC (8 points).
Pool B 1. Quimperlé (13 pts); 2. Blanc-Mesnil (11 pts); 3. Marignane (10 pts); 4. Loon-Plage (9 pts); 5. Bressuire (8 pts); 6. Nantes (6 pts).
