Palavas-les-Flots. _ Gaillac, Montluçon, then Bassens, nothing worked. When the Nice steamroller is not at full throttle in singles, it then springs into action in doubles. The players from Gaillac stumbled in their opening in the head-to-head, the spanking was immediate, with five matches lost against only one won. Laetitia Bousquet-Fabien Trouillet and Alain Phalipot-David Debar did manage to win their doubles matches, but they still had to conquer the two triples. Alas… Quintais-Suchaud-Lacroix quickly set things straight (13/4) against the French triples champions Phalipot-Delforge-Lagarde.
Fanny as a bonus
In the semi-finals, the players from Montluçon shared the points in the singles, but DUC straightened their crown from the very start in the doubles with a resounding 3/0. Like Gaillac, Montluçon had no room for error in triples. A notion shattered to pieces a few minutes later, with the fanny dealt to Sylvie Jaunet-Eric Dasnias-Vincent Demuth by Christine Saunier-Philippe Suchaud-Philippe Quintais.
Bassens stunned in singles, sunk in doubles
Bassens against Nice, the challenge was promising among the Bordelais already present in 2005 and 2007, and the Azuréens thrice crowned (2004-2005-2006) and finalists in 2002. And it is in this context that the French Cup fully expressed the complex tactical and psychic alchemy that sometimes leads to victory. Nice led 3/2 in head-to-heads, while Labrue and Suchaud continued their debate. It was a close call that the tenacious Bordelais could win the match, but reason remained with the world champion (13/11). Consequently, Bassens was chasing its fate, but the sprint was short-lived. Three doubles matches later the suburban Bordelais were knocked off their feet, swept away by a sudden Niçoise tornado. One of those natural disasters so violent and immediate that they leave you stunned and bewildered. Like Bassens, in a way…
All results
Quarter-finals
Bassens b. Star Master’s 77 Dammarie-les-Lys 16/15
Bassens wins 3 singles out of 6, loses the 3 doubles, and wins the 2 triples
Nice b. Gaillac 18/8
Nice wins 5 singles, 1 double, and 1 triple
Montluçon b. Mondeville 21/0
Montluçon wins all 6 singles, and the 3 doubles
Auxerre b. Clichy 17/9
Auxerre wins 3 singles out of 6, 2 doubles, and 1 triple
Semi-finals
Nice b. Montluçon 20/6
Nice wins 3 singles out of 6, all 3 doubles, and 1 triple
Bassens b. Auxerre 18/3
Bassens wins all 6 singles and 2 doubles
Final
Nice b. Bassens 17/4
Nice wins 4 singles, and all 3 doubles
The Nice team (coach Alain Montoro): Christine Saunier, Séverine Roche, Daniel Rizo, Philippe Quintais, Henri Lacroix, Simon Cortès, Khaled Lakhal, Philippe Suchaud, Ludovic Montoro, Frédéric Foni, Antoine Cano.
Source: Quaterback
