At the end of the suspense, Alex Lanier, 19, qualifies for the semi-finals of the Danish Open. This is a new feat that the young Norman achieved against Loh Kean Yew, with a victory after 1h20 of the match (21-18, 15-21, 24-22).
Alex Lanier, what a physical and mental fight… What made the difference?
Honestly I don’t know if anything made the difference. Loh Kean Yew is a player who is extremely creative. He’s a bit random in his choices so it’s really difficult to predict what he’s going to do. I too needed to really adapt constantly and change strategy almost every two points and become as creative as him. This is a point where I was good in this match and I am quite proud. I managed to keep this quality in all my shots despite this constant change of tactics.
How did you manage the end of the match after the red card?
The cardboard was too much. Obviously I took my time but at that moment, I asked to go drink, the referee told me no and I took this card. It’s not a pleasant moment but I think I stayed calm. I managed to say to myself: ‘ok I lost a point for nothing but I’m going to have to make up for it and get back into it’. I knew how to make the right choices at the right time. It also made the difference to stay really calm and not overplay, while remaining proactive.
In the next round, it’s a new challenge against the Japanese Koki Watanabe, 13th in the world. Can you tell us about him?
I had to play it twice and each time it was very close. I know it’s obviously going to be an extremely tough match. He played two sets less than me in this tournament. But the main thing is that I will try to give. Already rest properly now and then prepare for the match and go there with my weapons of the moment.
