Find the Tops and Flops of the weekend selected by the Sports du Figaro editorial staff.
TOPS
The return “sensational»By Christian Eriksen
Six and a half months after his serious heart attack at the Euro, Christian Eriksen donned the Denmark jersey this Saturday. Entering the game at the break in the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, the 30-year-old playmaker was acclaimed by an audience in front of which he had played at the start of his career. Before scoring… a minute later, on his first ball! “If we had written a film script for the return of Christian Eriksen to the national team, this would have been the one“, greeted Sunday the national daily B.T, after the return “sensational” number 10, as his coach Kasper Hjulmand enthused. Next step in Eriksen’s rebirth now, a tenure this Tuesday in Copenhagen, at the very place where he had his heart attack. “It’s going to be even more special, he told the Danish channel channel 5. Today was a bit of a warm-up for Tuesday, where I will have to run where it happened.»
SEE ALSO – The best of Christian Eriksen at Inter Milan (2020-2021)
Read alsoEriksen scorer against the Netherlands for his return to selection
In Pau, Jordan Joseph sees triple
Great French hope in the position of number 8, crossed out at Racing 92 by competition, Jordan Joseph finds colors in Pau. At 21, the player now plays under the orders of Sébastien Piqueriones, with whom he was double U20 world champion. This Saturday, the player trained in Massy (77) scored a hat-trick against Perpignan. 15 points scored by the player on loan from Racing which allowed the Section to win 27-22 against USAP. For several weeks, Jordan Joseph has been reborn in Béarn and has been performing well to the point of being called up by Fabien Galthié during the last Tournament.
Read alsoTops/Flops La Rochelle-Racing 92: West power 4, zero points for Racing
Iga Swiatek, the heyday of Polish tennis
The misfortune of some… The departure of Ashley Barty and the model of sliced backhand of the Australian are still in all memories but the place of world n°1 was free and Iga Swiatek jumped on it. The Polish (20), winner of Roland-Garros in 2020 (the first crowning of Polish tennis in Grand Slam), had to win in Miami against the Swiss Viktorija Golubic to be sure of becoming the new world n ° 1 on the 4th. April. Victorious 6-2, 6-0, she did not shake. Winner in Doha and Indian Wells, Iga Swiatek (semi-finalist at the Australian Open) has had a flamboyant start to the season. With a characteristic style:I started lifting very young to do like Rafael Nadal, my idol. At 13-14 years old, I was already working on my kicked serve“, summed up in L’Équipe the one who will become the 28e player from the Open era to settle at the pinnacle of women’s tennis.
Read alsoTennis: Swiatek rises to the rank of world number 1
The box full of Papadakis-Cizeron
Olympic gold had filled Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron in February in Beijing. They had one step left to complete a dream year: the world championships in Montpellier. To vibrate, share with their audience, dance on a new podium after a breathtaking performance. 9,000 spectators accompanied Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron who, world record at stake, doubled the pleasure by offering themselves a 5e title of world champion coming to flesh out an XXL record (also topped with 5 European titles and Olympic gold). The French couple, with virtuosity and magic, outstripped the American duos, Madison Hubbell-Zachary Donohue and Madison Chock-Evan Bates, training partners in Montreal. All to his happiness and his emotion, the star couple of French skating did not want to lift the veil on the follow-up he intended to give to his career. “Will there be a sequel? They may find out in a few months or some time. We hope this won’t be the last time. If it is, well it will have been beautiful until the end, they will have had a perfect season“Summarized Romain Haguenauer, their trainer.
Read alsoFigure skating: Papadakis and Cizeron world champions
The Girmay surprise in Ghent-Wevelgem
Eritrean Biniam Girmay (Intermarché) created a surprise on Sunday by winning Ghent-Wevelgem, which is the first victory for a rider from a sub-Saharan African country in a cycling classic. Silver medalist in the hopes category at the Worlds last year, Girmay signed the most important victory of a rider from sub-Saharan Africa in cycling. Turned professional in 2020 in the French team Delko, the winner joined the WorldTour level last spring. He asserted himself at the end of the season by winning the Classic Grand Besançon before starting the 2021 season with a success at the end of January in Mallorca.
Winning comeback for Olivier Giroud
Recalled to the France team to make up for the absence of Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud seized his chance by scoring his 47th goal against Côte d’Ivoire on Friday evening (2-1). A goal in his signature style, the result of impeccable placement and heading. From there to stay in Blue and possibly be part of the adventure in Qatar? “Having the opportunity to play a third World Cup, who would say no? “Admits the interested party at the microphone of Téléfoot. Especially since in addition to the World Cup, Thierry Henry’s goal of 51 goals remains a strong personal ambition.
Read alsoGiroud essential in Blues? Deschamps perfectly revived the debate
FLOPS
Paris says goodbye to the final stages
The final sprint is launched in the Top 14 and it will be done without the Stade Français. This Saturday, the Parisian club lost at home on its Jean-Bouin lawn against Union Bordeaux-Bègles (18-31). The third defeat in the league this season on home soil, the 11th overall in 21 Top 14 games. Too many setbacks to hope to grab the Top 6 and the play offs at the end of the season. The SFP is now relegated to 11th place in the French championship, nine points from the qualifying places. “Our group does not need to harden but to grownoted the pillar Clément Castets bitterly after the meeting.
Hamilton and Mercedes anonymous
“It was a pretty weak race. I did everything I could. We have so much work, we are so slow. We couldn’t even hold off the Haas.”, these harsh words are those of Lewis Hamilton at the end of the Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia. Fifteenth on the grid, the seven-time world champion took a modest tenth place at the finish, despite an offbeat strategy. The German car is not working at the start of the season. The fifth place of George Russell, in the most total anonymity, is a hiding place as the young Briton was far from the Ferraris and the Red Bulls. As Hamilton said, Mercedes have a lot of work to do and will have to react already in two weeks, in Australia.
Read alsoTops/Flops of the Saudi Arabian GP: Verstappen wins the fight, Hamilton in anonymity
Auger-Aliassime, zero points
Close to eliminating Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, winner in Rotterdam, then finalist in Marseille, Felix Auger-Alassime seemed to have the wind in his sails. The Canadian (9e world player) suddenly fell back to earth. He did not win a single match during the American Masters 1000. In Indian Wells, he lost when he entered the scene, dominated at 2e tour par le Néerlandais Botic van de Zandschulp (26 ans ; 42e) 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. In Miami, “FAA” lost from the start 6-4, 6-2 against the Serb Miomir Kecmanovic (22 years old; 48e). Limited to service (62% of points scored on his 1is department; 5 double faults against Kecmanovic), Auger-Aliassime was quickly deprived of solutions. The double elimination (against two formidable opponents) marks a halt in the season of the promising Canadian (21 years old).
Read alsoTop 14: for their return to the club, Woki and Willemse in international form