2025 / Jérôme Elhaïk / News / PSA

Les Bleus à l’étranger: Texas

 

Texas Open 2025

Demi-finale

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) 3-1 [7] Victor Crouin   11-5, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8 (51m)

Le Mot de Victor

Belle semaine à Houston avec deux victoires consécutives avant d’affronter le numéro 1 mondial Ali Farag en demi-finale ! 💪

Un duel tactique contre Ali. Même si je n’ai pas su concrétiser mes avances dans les troisième et quatrième jeux, je suis fier du squash que j’ai produit. Ali a souligné après le match comment nous avons cherché à se faire déjouer mutuellement – et c’était exactement mon objectif. Face à sa capacité à volleyer et contrôler le T, sa couverture du terrain et ses qualités défensives qui finissent par user l’adversaire, je savais qu’il me fallait un plan de jeu précis. Quand j’ai réussi à l’appliquer, je ne faisais pas que résister – je contrôlais les échanges et imposais mon rythme.

Ce match témoigne d’une réelle progression. Lors de notre dernière confrontation, j’étais à deux points de la victoire mais n’ai pas su réagir quand Ali a trouvé son rythme. Cette fois, mis à part le premier jeu, j’ai réussi à rivaliser avec lui, dominant même certaines phases du match – c’est la clé d’une future victoire.

Cette semaine, la mise en place et l’application de plans de jeu spécifiques pour chaque match ont été mes points forts. Le travail en among avec mon papa-coach a été déterminant – nous avons analysé les performances passées et les adversaires, élaboré des stratégies, et travaillé à l’entraînement pour consolider les coups et schémas de jeu nécessaires à chaque rencontre. Cette préparation m’a apporté clarté et confiance, me permettant de m’adapter rapidement pendant les matches. Notre dynamique coach-joueur a vraiment bien fonctionné cette semaine, et je suis convaincu que nous continuerons à progresser au fil des matchs et des compétitions passées ensemble.

Cette demi-finale d’un tournoi Gold est – jusqu’à maintenant – mon meilleur résultat de la saison – une étape importante vers mon objectif de retrouver le top 8 mondial. Prochaine étape : le Canadian Men’s Open au Bow Valley Club de Calgary ! J’y avais atteint la finale il y a deux ans, j’espère donc maintenir cette dynamique de l’autre côté de la frontière ! 🇨🇦

Un grand merci au Houston Squash Club et à l’équipe du tournoi pour leur formidable accueil, ainsi qu’aux fans pour leur soutien incroyable ! Merci aussi à tous ceux qui ont suivi mes matchs sur la chaine Sport en France ! C’est une immense fierté de vous savoir nombreux devant l’écran ! ❤️

Quart de finale

[7] Victor Crouin 3-1 Grégoire Marche  11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4 (62m)

Victor Crouin came out on top of an all-French quarter-final at the Cotidie Texas Open, beating Gregoire Marche in a repeat of the recent French national championships final.

Marche had recorded a first career win – at the 10th attempt – over Mohamed Elshorbagy in round two, but the physicality of that match perhaps took its toll 48 hours later, particularly early on as Crouin eased into a one-game lead, losing only four points along the way.

His high leaping forehand winner – smashed cross-court into the nick – on game ball showed the confidence Crouin was playing with, but the roles were reversed in game two, as this time Marche came racing out of the blocks to lead 5-0.

Crouin reeled in the deficit to level at 7-7 but he was never able to get his nose back in front, going down 12-10 after initially saving two game balls at 10-8. The first of those came on a quite extraordinary rally, lasting three minutes and 17 seconds in total, drawing a huge round of applause from the watching crowd.

And that perhaps took further toll on Marche’s body, while Crouin, despite losing game two, returned to court looking fresh and focused after discussions with his father – who is also his coach – in his corner. He needed only 11 minutes to win game three – less than half the duration of game two – headlined by a brilliant backhand boast the sent Marche the wrong way.

The 34-year-old did not request a new ball to start game four and Crouin picked up where he left off at the end of game three, controlling the rallies and making very few errors, while mistakes crept further into Marche’s game.

The No.7 seed only dropped four more points in the match and speaking after his win, he revealed he was pleased to progress while admitting he wasn’t always at his best.

“I’m happy to be back in the semis of a Gold event, it was a big opportunity for the both of us and I managed to take it this time,” said Crouin. “I’m pretty pleased to do it in four games. It certainly wasn’t our best squash but sometimes it’s like that and I just had to find a way to win.

“I’ve grown up watching Greg [Marche], whilst he was at the National Centre and on the pro tour. We train pretty much every week together so we know each other inside out and you know that if he gets an opportunity that he’ll take it. I think I did a god job of getting him a bit tired in the first two games and could see the rewards of that in the end”

SPORT365 – CROUIN VAINQUEUR
QUART FRANCO-FRANCAIS

Huitièmes de finale

Grégoire Marche 3-0 [4] Mohamed Elshorbagy (ENG)  12-10, 11-4, 14-12 (46m)
[7] Victor Crouin 3-0 Nathan Lake (Eng) 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (43m)

👉 Après sa victoire contre Karim Abdel Gawad au Tournament of Champions, Gregoire Marche s’offre à nouveau le scalp d’un ancien n°1 mondial et champion du monde, Mohamed ElShorbagy – un joueur qu’il n’avait jamais battu depuis qu’ils se côtoient sur les tournois junior…

👉 C’est un véritable tremblement de terre : “the Beast” restait sur 32 succès de suite contre les joueurs tricolores, le dernier à l’avoir battu était Grégory Gaultier lors d’une demi-finale mémorable au ToC en janvier 2017.

👉 Et devinez quoi ? En quart de finale, Marche affrontera … Victor Crouin ! Ce sera donc un remake de la finale du championnat de France remportée par Victor il y a quelques jours.

Gregoire Marche put in a stunning display to upset former World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy and reach the Cotidie Texas Open quarter-finals, recording his first career win over ‘The Beast’ at the 10th time of asking.

The Frenchman has enjoyed a successful start to 2025, headlined by a round-one win over Karim Abdel Gawad at the Tournament of Champions, but he came into this matchup as the underdog nonetheless, having lost his nine previous meetings with Elshorbagy. He also sits 15 places below the Englishman in the world rankings, but there was almost nothing between the two players early on, as they went into a first-game tiebreak.

It was Marche who ultimately took it after saving a game ball at 10-9 down, and he was soon on the brink of victory after winning the second 11-4 and moving 8-4 up in the third.

Only one of Marche’s previous nine defeats to Elshorbagy had been in five games, but that occasion had seen him lose a 2-0 lead, so it was perhaps unsurprising that the Frenchman was feeling some nerves as the victory line edged closer.

From 8-4 up he then found himself level at 9-9 before seeing a first match ball come and go at 10-9, having to save a pair of game balls in the tiebreak to avoid going into a fourth. But he ultimately did get over the line, with Elshorbagy – appearing to be struggling physically but determined not to give in – tinning a forehand at 13-12 down.

“He’s been one of the best players ever in the game,” Marche said after his win. “I’m not sure that I truly believed that I would beat him one day, and it was so tough even just to finish it off at the end there.

“To be able to get the win today was great. We’re both 34 years old and we’re both playing at this level, I’m really proud of this. I’ve never beaten him on tour before, but I need to relax now and think about doing it again in two days time.”

 

Texas Open 2025

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