The life of a professional in the big circuit is not easy at all. First and foremost, setting up a timeline that is sustainable and meaningful is already a difficult task to conquer. It is impossible to predict or control the win / loss ratio. Logically, you try to be at your best and physically and mentally ready for big events like the Grand Slam and the Masters 1000.
The ideal is to have gained enough to have confidence but not too much not to be exhausted. At the same time, these are not the only events that are important in this circuit with an annual calendar that lasts almost 11 months. In the same vein as the Auger-Aliassime race speaks, we honor its commitments.
However, a young player like Felix who aspires to great things equal to or greater than that of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and company, must also learn to chain wins, week after week, traveling from one country to another. . The difficulty at this time of year if you choose to participate in tournaments in Europe that are most popular among the top-10 members, is that playing indoors at a level of excellence is violent for the body. Especially in the way the FAA has to perform to mat the best or the hot, hot every week.
The Marseille tournament, masterfully led by former player and businessman Jean-François Caujolle, allows Félix to breathe shortly after his Rotterdam triumph, as his tournament starts on Thursday. But the problem, and it’s a great problem, is that our Quebecer keeps winning, so four strong games in a row!
Still, what I like most about him this week despite losing in the final is the way he fights. When faced with a certain physical limit, you need to use your brain a little more to overcome the opponent. This allows us to discover it and see it with a different eye.
First of all, after the great jolt of happiness in Rotterdam, you must always put both feet back on the ground. It is known that it is a problem of the rich, but it is still difficult since we want to bathe for a while in this happiness and breathe a little. But no, you have to pack your bags and unpack again. Seek care, find your training orientation, stay disciplined, give interviews and get ready to deal with anyone who gets in your way. All this with one difference: he is a champion and he is inevitably very proud of it, so there is no question of appearance as happens to many others but not exceptional.
In front of Jo-Wilfred Tsonga at the beginning it is not easy because in front of his audience he is sure that he will do everything to show that despite the injuries he is still able to stand against the young wolves. In addition, the two players have a lot in common: a French mother and an African father, a game led by a huge forehand and service in addition to showing great physicality. Admittedly, Tsonga is a great champion of another era, but he still manages to get back in the first set and entice the world. Fortunately, after losing his lead, Félix stopped him straight at the tiebreak to then relax. By the way: what generosity and admiration from Tsonga’s side to Felix in the handshake. Wow, what a class from the French!
The most amazing player of the week is definitely Roman Safiulin, who left the qualifiers apart from winning two games in the tie break of the 3rd set and, icing on the cake: defeating the 4th in the world and the first Stefanos Tsitsipas, in two set. please! It is funny to see that the Russian is following his compatriot Aslan Karatsev with a thunderous start to the year in the ATP Cup to show us that he is much better than the 163rd place in the world rankings. Before facing him in the half, Auger-Aliassime competed with Ilya Ivashka in the straight, but still lost his serve twice, which is not great inside. However, he wins the ground battle.
Safiullin shows against Félix in the semi-finals that he is very tough on the exchange, so Quebecer forces us to be imaginative at the back of the pitch with a mix of gear changes and climbs. The good news is that Félix avoids the 3rd set to keep some reserves for the future. It is good because it shows more and more fatigue and the right ankle restricts it to specific movements and therefore to specific play options.
In the final, he finds Andrey Rublev whom he won for the first time last week. Felix moves well at the beginning of the race, but he faced this tough guy, his lack of consistency and mobility hurt him. Congratulations on his courage, his imagination and his great desire to stay until the end, but it is a great challenge to beat the big winner who is Rublev while you are physically reduced. I think it would be very wise to rest and avoid traveling to Dubai before the demanding Masters 1000 series in Indian Wells and Miami starting on March 10th.
Nevertheless, two exciting weeks for Félix that push him even further to the top of the sidewalk. How full of promises all this!
