One wouldn’t have bet on the valorous team from Evreux in the final of the Cities Trophy, after a disastrous beginning in the doubles. But in the wake of an exceptional Michel Reinaud at the point, the Normans resurfaced, pushing the Azureans to their limits. Quintais’ last game with the DUC of Nice will leave him with memories rich in emotions.
Phenomenal Reinaud. Evreux’s leader was brimming with class in this final, to the point of giving Philippe Quintais himself a hard time, more than holding his own. With Sévilla not at his best, it was Darodes who played the role of firefighter on duty, extinguishing two fires with two drowned ends. The third attempt was one too many, but what Norman perseverance in the crunch time!
Maxime Drouillet chief marksman
Another highlight of the Cities Trophy, the precision shooting tournament is especially anticipated. Even more so because the final pitted Parisian Kévin Malbec, a specialist in the exercise, against young Maxime Drouillet (14 years old). And the boy from Laon, far from being intimidated, held his own against the Francilien, seeming to give up at the end, before triumphing in the final sprint. Masterful artistry.
The results
Quarter-finals: Nice defeated Gaillac 3/1 (13/6; 11/13; 13/1); Evreux defeated Monaco 3/1 (13/3; 5/13; 13/7); Châlon-sur-Saône defeated Marseille 3/1 (7/13; 13/1; 13/3); Amiens defeated Paris 3/1 (6/13; 13/9; 13/3).
Semi-finals: Evreux (Gambert-Reinaud-Sévilla-Darodes) defeated Amiens (Philipson-Lecointe-Fouillard-Evenou) 4/0 (13/6; 13/10; 13/6); Nice (Quintais-Suchaud-Lacroix-Calissi) defeated Châlon-sur-Saône (Coulon-Bernard-Dufeu-Fornet) 4/0 (13/5; 13/8; 13/0).
Final: Nice defeated Evreux 4/0 (13/2; 13/4; 13/10)
Consolation final: Châlons-en-Champagne (Renard-Rousseaux-Prieur-Bendidou) defeated Ile Rousse (Le Boursicaud-Fieschi-Grazzini-Lenoir) 13/10
Precision shooting final: Maxime Drouillet (Laon) defeated Kévin Malbec (Paris) 33/30
TV Broadcasts
Find the Cities Trophy on Sport+:
Round of 16: Sunday, January 2nd at 10:00 AM – Replays: January 2nd at 3:45 PM, January 3rd at 7:00 PM, January 4th at 12:00 PM, January 4th at 12:15 AM, January 5th at 4:15 PM
Round of 8: Sunday, January 9th at 11:15 AM – Replays: January 10th at 7:00 PM, January 11th at 12:45 PM, January 12th at 10:30 AM
Quarter-final 1: Sunday, January 16th at 12:00 PM
Quarter-final 2: Sunday, January 23rd at 11:30 AM
Quarter-final 3: Sunday, January 30th at 11:00 AM
Quarter-final 4: Sunday, February 6th at 10:30 AM
Semi-final 1: Sunday, February 13th at 11:00 AM
Semi-final 2: Sunday, February 20th at 12:30 PM
Final: Sunday, February 27th at 10:45 AM
Best Of: Sunday, March 6th at 10:30 AM
Source and photo credit: https://www.quarterback.fr
