A big surprise in Agen. The reigning French champions  Manuel Vives / Dylan Guichard  were eliminated in the quarter-finals by  Pierre Vincent / Damien Bayard , authors of a tremendous performance.

On paper, Vives/Guichard were the overwhelming favorites. With a  Dylan Guichard, ranked 72nd in the world  and a pair who were regulars on the international circuit, the gap seemed significant.

But the way the match unfolded decided otherwise.

Vives' injury changes the complexion of the match

There is one important element to consider:  Manuel Vives' wrist injury .

Little by little, as the match progressed, the pain returned.

From the second set onwards, Vives clearly declined physically. He was even seen playing several two-handed backhands to try and ease the strain on his wrist.

Confidence is declining, commitment is waning, and the reigning French champion pair are gradually losing control.

This discomfort undoubtedly had an impact on the result.

But it doesn't detract from Vincent/Bayard's enormous performance.

Vincent/Bayard were aggressive from the start

 Pierre Vincent / Damien Bayard  They approached the match very well.

They entered the match with a lot of aggression, without any inferiority complex against a pair that was much more experienced at this level.

They managed to contain Guichard / Vives, prevent them from establishing their rhythm and take advantage of every opening.

And when Vives started to decline, they didn't let up the pressure.

Bayard, in particular, grew stronger throughout the match and was able to make a huge difference.

A pair who know the French circuit perfectly

This performance didn't come out of nowhere either.

Vincent/Bayard have been among the best pairs on the French circuit for several seasons, with numerous  titles in P1000, P1500 and P2000 .

But this time, the challenge was of a completely different caliber.

Facing a pair made up of two players well-versed in the international circuit, they rose to the occasion.

A true benchmark victory.

In the semi-final against Leygue / Blanqué

The challenge will be even greater in the semi-finals.

Vincent / Bayard will meet again  Thomas Leygue / Bastien Blanqué , three-time French champions, who had to fight to get out  Jérémy Robert / Yoan Boronad .

Leygue and Blanqué won.  6/2 4/6 6/3  at the end of a real battle.

Robert and Boronad made the three-time champions doubt themselves

The first set is clearly in favor of Leygue / Blanqué.

Robert and Boronad are struggling to get into their game, in particular  Jeremy Robert less precise in the earlier games.

But the reaction was very good in the second set.

 Yoan Boronad  plays a huge, very consistent role, a true metronome on the court. Alongside him, Robert clearly picks up the pace and delivers a very strong second set.

Result:  6/4 and the match is completely back on.

Experience makes the difference in the third

In the decisive round, the tension rises even further.

But this time, Leygue / Blanqué are letting their experience speak for itself.

Robert makes a few mistakes at important moments, while the three-time French champions remain much more solid.

They finally conclude  6/3  and secure their place in the semi-finals.

A highly anticipated semi-final

We will therefore have a final square between:

 Thomas Leygue / Bastien Blanqué 
et
 Pierre Vincent / Damien Bayard 

A big clash between one of the most decorated pairs in recent French padel history and the sensation of these quarter-finals.

The meeting will be to follow  directly on Padel MagTV .

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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