LANIER Wins All-French Showdown
The highly anticipated matchup brought Alex LANIER and Toma Junior POPOV face-to-face at the Arena Grand Paris. Their last meeting on the international circuit took place in March, in the final of the Orléans Masters (Super 300), where LANIER won in straight sets, 21–11, 21–13. This time, however, the stakes were higher: a place in the semifinals of the French Open (Super 750).
After a cautious start, with both players exchanging points without taking too many risks, LANIER took the lead. Playing more consistently, he capitalized on POPOV's inconsistent shot length and several unforced errors to move ahead 11–5. However, POPOV soon turned things around. With a series of winning smashes, he shifted the momentum and took the lead at 16–14. Another sharp attack allowed POPOV to close out the first set, 21–16.
In the second set, the two players remained neck-and-neck until 15–15. LANIER, the recent Denmark Open winner, then let out his first shouts of frustration as he tried to refocus after a series of mistakes. Shots skimmed the net, tension mounted, and every point mattered. LANIER found a way, staying composed, to secure the second set, 21–16.
The deciding set demonstrated plenty of excitement, with the crowd divided in its support for the two French players. POPOV took the lead at 7–3, but LANIER was quick to respond. Following a spectacular rally, LANIER leveled the score. At 13–13, tension reached its peak as both players took a brief pause. This proved to be the turning point of the match. With excellent anticipation and rock-solid defense, LANIER gained the upper hand, moving ahead 19–16. After 1 hour and 17 minutes of intense competition, the world No. 5 could finally celebrate his hard-fought victory.
“Tomi pulled out all his cards and showed an exceptional level of play. He pushed me far, very far, even beyond what I could have imagined. It was very intense. At times, I really had my doubts and felt under serious pressure. It's a valuable lesson for the future. Today, I couldn't execute the game plan I wanted, partly because he prevented me from doing so, but also because I didn't feel physically capable or confident enough. I'm happy I kept fighting and that I get to play another match, even if it's going to be tiring,” said Alex LANIER after his victory.
Despite the defeat, Toma Junior POPOV also took positives from the match: “It was a very good match. I could have won in two or three sets. I made a few errors in judging whether shots were in or out. At one point, I knew I needed to take the initiative. That's what I did, but it didn't pay off. Today, I feel like I'm getting back to the level I reached at the China Open. That's encouraging for the rest of the year.”
With his 14th consecutive victory, Alex LANIER continued his impressive run and secured his first semifinal appearance at the French Open. On Saturday, the Frenchman would face 19-year-old Indonesian Mohammad.