Play In Challenger Lille semi finals, this Saturday, wil be 100 % French with Lucas Pouille (102nd) against Valentin Royer (208th) and Arthur Bouquier (424th) against Calvin Hemery (212th).
The most bankable match of these quarter finals between Lucas Pouille (102nd) and young Belgium Alexander Blockx (19 years, 151st) turned to the advantage of the French. Native from Loon Plage, who realized the break as of the first game, saw his opponent coming back in the middle of the set. It is in the tie-break and thanks to his experience that he won the first set. in the second one, he did, once again, the break in the fourth game to make the match more simple and obtain a two sets victory 7-6, 6-3 (1h39) at home. « It was a great match, of a fantastic level, in all fields : service, rallies. I was strong in the tough moments», analysed 3rd seed of the tournament, who becomes the natural favorite for the title, since the elimination of Benjamin Bonzi (top seed) in the second round and Luca Nardi (2nd seed) in the first round.
He will have first to upset in semi-finals Valentin Royer (208h) who defeated in two sets another French , Arthur Gea (7-6, 6-2, 1h36), dominated by the strengh and willingness of his opponent.
The neartly final Bouquier
The other semi-final will be also « blue-white-red» with a battle between Calvin Hemery (212nd) and Arthur Bouquier (424th). The first one easily won his quarter final in 1h09 (6-4, 6-0) against German Max Hans Rehberg (271st), same scenario for the second who knocked out his compatriot Tom Paris (551st) in two sets 6-3, 6-1 (1h03).
For Arthur Bouquier, history is nice since the player has been experiencing hard months with stress fracture last year who made him off the courts. He admitted not being arrived in the best mentally conditions in Lille, due to « personal reasons», but now the Jura player (24 years) is facing his most beautiful challenge of his career « The match of yesterday (Thursday) took me a lot of energy I did not sleep a lot, the fact to play Tom also, I had lost the two last times against him, all the more than it was in quarter final, I was a bit nervous», said the Player from Lons-le-Saunier, who eventually brillantly managed the situation.
In doubles, final will oppose this Saturday in the begenning of the afternoon Polish team Drzewiecki/Matuszewski (3rd seed) to the team Paul (SUI) / Pel (HOL).
