Beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas, the last Frenchman in the running in the Parisian Masters 1000 recounts a crazy week, between victories and controversy.
He didn’t miss much in a 2e set bravely led against Stefanos Tsitsipas but Corentin Moutet, the last Frenchman in the running in the Parisian Masters 1000 lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in the round of 16 of the Rolex Paris Masters. At the end of a week during which he learned of his eviction from the structures of the French Federation because of his bad behavior on the courts. The Frenchman (23; 64e world) thus losing financial aid and the support of his federal coach. In the mixed zone, Corentin Moutet spoke about this crazy week during which he snatched his qualification for the round of 16 against the Briton Cameron Norrie at 3:3 a.m. on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, before returning to the court 16 hours later to challenge Stefanos Tsitsipas. Extracts.
The game : “I was tired of yesterday’s match (started at midnight, completed at 3:3 am on the night of Wednesday to Thursday) but also of the qualifying matches, I almost only played long matches. I paid him a little. At 1is set, I was a little slower on my movements, I had less strength, less energy but he was playing very fast compared to the other players I played, I had a hard time adapting . At 2e set, I felt much better, I tried to put more energy, to force myself to move more between the points to stimulate me because I was asleep, I played better, it’s a shame that it does not pass in this 2e set, I would have been curious to see a 3e set… He had a very good match, I couldn’t find the solution. »
From the middle of the night to a match at the start of the evening, the race against time: “To keep myself awake, I drank coffee, I couldn’t sleep, I think it was micro-nap by micro-nap. I tried to sleep as much as possible, to do as for the other matches, my physical warm-up, tennis, respect the meals but it was complicated, I could not eat after my match yesterday, everything was closed. This is one of the first times this has happened to me. When I woke up, I wasn’t fresh but I didn’t have any aches, it was more basic fatigue. »
Relations with the French Federation: “The saddest thing about this decision is that I will no longer be able to work with Laurent (Raymond) when we were doing a very good job. We were progressing little by little, I’m not perfect, I don’t think anyone is. I have certain flaws that they don’t like, it’s their choice. If they want to support me, they support me, if they don’t, I will do with people who believe in me. I will continue to go on the field, to train, to do everything I can. They told me two days before Bercy, I did not expect it. At the level of behavior, I am expressive, sometimes I let myself be carried away by my emotions, in this case they are visible but I can win difficult matches (like against Norrie), go and seek in my entrenchments, we are not a thousand to know how to do it. I am a fighter, I am passionate, those who know me know that I work very hard (…) On the way, I will meet lots of people who will believe in me when they need it and when they don’t. no more need, they will leave me, that’s life, that’s business, that’s how it is…”