“In addition to the results (3 defeats 2-0, including two this Friday), did you feel any improvement as the two days went by at the Paris Beach Pro Tour?
Julien Lyneel: Physically, no, but in terms of gameplay, yes. We’re frustrated to have lost three 2-0 matches, we’re not going to hide behind the excuse of four months without a game, but it’s a fact. Personally, I didn’t play, and I think I was below my potential, and collectively with Rémi, we have a lot of rhythm to catch up on. In this kind of tournament, it’s costly, but we take responsibility for it.
Is your back still bothering you?
JL: It’s still there, but we’re working on it and we’ll gradually resolve the issue.
You leave for Mexico on Sunday for the World Championships (October 6-15, in Tlaxcala). How will you approach them?
Rémi Bassereau: The group is more accessible, with one very strong team and three others that are close. The format is the same (as Paris). We’ll have three more competitive matches under our belt, which is a big difference.
JL: We’ll have to handle the travel well, take into account the altitude (2500 m)… One or two rallies, and we’ll be out of breath…
“If we want to succeed, we have to go day by day, and sometimes we go through more difficult moments than others.”
Julien Lyneel, regarding qualification for the Paris Olympics
If we look ahead a bit further, there are the Olympic Games in Paris. Are you also thinking about them?
RB: To qualify through ranking, it’s the best of twelve tournaments (from January 2023 to June 2024), there are enough left, and naturally, teams will gradually disappear to prepare for the Games.
JL: It’s a question that keeps coming up, but we don’t have the answers. We were approached for an ultra-ambitious project, it’s a huge challenge, and we can’t arrive talking about the Games. If we want to succeed, we have to go day by day, and sometimes we go through more difficult moments than others.
If the number one pair (Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat) qualifies directly, the problem would be solved (France could then qualify a second pair of their choice)…
JL: That would be great, and we wish them the best. There’s no issue, we’re all moving forward in the same boat. We just want to remain humble about our arrival, but we also know what we’re capable of, and we were called for a clear objective. And the three defeats (in Paris on Thursday and Friday) don’t question everything.”
