THE INCREDIBLE POPOVS!
The Popov brothers knew they were in for a tough battle. Their Indian opponents had always posed a challenge, although the French duo had pushed them to a deciding third set on several occasions—a sign that this encounter could be fiercely contested, with everything still to play for.
The POPOV brothers got off to a flying start. Aggressive and explosive, they overwhelmed their Indian opponents and took an 11–5 lead into the interval. Supported by the crowd's cheers, everything seemed to click: their defense—including some spectacular behind-the-back returns—their attacks, and their serves. They frustrated their opponents, forcing errors and disrupting their rhythm. However, growing overconfident, the brothers from Fos-sur-Mer began to rush their shots, allowing their rivals to close the gap. The French pair regained their composure at just the right moment, raising their level to clinch the opening set 21–19.
Frustrated, the Indians came out swinging in the second set. Hard. Very hard! So hard, that RANKIREDDY snapped a string and SHETTY broke his racket. This time, the momentum shifted in their favor, and the Indian pair took an 11–7 lead into the interval. They maintained their lead throughout the set, remained in control and forced a third with 21- 18. The final set began as a tight battle, with both pairs trading blows. However, supported by the ecstatic crowd at the Arena Grand Paris, the Popov brothers gradually turned the tide and built a commanding lead. Refusing to let the opportunity slip away, they brought their losing streak against the Indian duo to an end, sealing a spectacular victory: 21–19, 18–21, 21–13.
Toma Junior POPOV: “We're proud. Very happy. A 100% win rate for our team today—it's incredible. And this is the first time we've beaten them. We've often pushed them to three sets, but this is the first time we've dominated them in a third set that we handled well. We got off to a great start in the match, too. We defended very well—we were very active on defense. […] It's incredible to beat former world No. 1s—true champions!”
Christo POPOV: “What made the difference? I think we just played better than they did. We played very well today. And it feels great to play well!”
On Thursday, the brothers will face Indonesia's Leo Rolly CARNANDO and Daniel MARTHIN (No. 25) for a place in the quarterfinals. Following today's impressive performance, the French duo have every reason to be confident. Before then, however, Christo will return to the court tomorrow for his singles match against fellow Frenchman Arnaud MERKLE.