Huge upset in the quarter-finals of the  French Championships  in Agen.  Arthur Hugounenq / Alexis Coulombeau  eliminated the 2th seed  Johan Bergeron / Timéo Fonteny  in two sets,  6 / 4 7 / 6 .

A landmark victory for Hugounenq / Coulombeau, who played a very strong match and were especially much more effective in the important moments.

An enormous Coulombeau

If one man had to be singled out from this match, it would certainly be  Alexis Coulombeau .

He delivered a very high-level performance, particularly in the transition game. His  pad His half-volleys and his ability to absorb the opponent's power will have greatly troubled Bergeron / Fonteny.

Very technically sound, he distributed the game perfectly and managed to keep the opposing pair under pressure for a large part of the match.

By his side,  Arthur Hugounenq  He too was extremely solid. The left-hander made a big difference at the net and with the smash, with very few errors.

Surgical on break points

The biggest difference in the match probably lies here.

Hugounenq / Coulombeau obtained  They had four break points and converted them all. .

Opposite, Bergeron/Fonteny had  8 opportunities but only transformed them  3 .

In such a close quarter-final, this efficiency will have weighed heavily.

A perfectly managed first set

Hugounenq / Coulombeau quickly took the lead in the first set with a break.

Bergeron / Fonteny manage to come back, but the outsider pair does not break up.

À  5/4 She immediately puts the pressure back on and finds another break, at the best possible moment, to clinch the round  6/4 .

They do not waver despite the missed opportunities.

The second set could have turned the match around.

Hugounenq / Coulombeau break quickly, are caught, then break back again.

They even find themselves in a position to serve for the match.

But Bergeron/Fonteny are back again.

At that moment, it seemed the dynamic was shifting. Fonteny and Bergeron encouraged each other more, increased the intensity, and pushed the set to a tie-break.

But Hugounenq / Coulombeau do not tremble.

Despite missed opportunities earlier in the set, they remained extremely solid in the tiebreak and finished the job:  6 / 4 7 / 6 .

30 unforced errors for Bergeron / Fonteny

The number 2 seed clearly did not produce his best match.

 Timeo Fonteny Despite being in excellent form internationally, he seemed frustrated for part of the match. He touched the ball less than usual and didn't always manage to make an impact when called upon.

Same observation for  Johan Bergeron , which has been marked by too many inaccuracies to allow his partner to establish a lasting game.

In total, Bergeron/Fonteny finished with  30 unforced errors , against  Only 19 for Hugounenq / Coulombeau .

In the slower conditions of Agen, the TS2 never really found the right formula.

A huge, prestigious victory

The performance is all the more important as Bergeron / Fonteny were among the top pairs expected to win the title.

Fonteny arrives buoyed by his results on the international circuit, while Bergeron already possesses the experience of  four French championship titles .

On paper, Hugounenq / Coulombeau were not necessarily the first names that came to mind to bring them down.

But on the track, they were better in almost every decisive moment.

Is the final now within reach?

In the semi-finals,  Hugounenq / Coulombeau  will meet the winner of the opposing quarter-final  Julien Seurin / Thomas Vanbauce to Maxime Joris / Maxime Forcin .

Another big one, of course.

But after eliminating the number 2 seed with this mastery, Hugounenq and Coulombeau can now look further ahead.

 A place in the final of the French Championships is clearly within their reach. 

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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