The French tennis team leaves the elite of women’s tennis after the play-off lost in the BJK Cup against Colombia (3-2), Sunday after the decisive doubles in Sopo, near Bogota.
Without French N.1 Diane Parry, injured on Saturday after winning her singles, the French pair Clara Burel/Chloé Paquet lost in two sets 6-3, 6-4, after the singles defeats of Varvara Gracheva and Clara Burel facing Colombian N.1 Camila Osorio, new national heroine.
The weekend had started well with Diane Parry headlining the French selection led by Julien Benneteau. After two running-in games she took the measure of Emiliana Arango, too tender and on the defensive who conceded six games in a row.
But in the first game of the second round against the 180th in the world, she collapsed, holding her left knee after regaining support on a high ball.
Strapped, she finally resumed the game which she barely managed to win 6-2, 6-4, visibly diminished.
On Sunday, she left her place to Varvara Gracheva for the third singles after Colombia equalized by Osorio (63rd), winner of Burel (74th) in two sets 6-4, 7-5.
“It’s okay, it’s rather reassuring my condition today compared to yesterday after the match and when I was on the ground. We have eliminated a lot of rather serious leads and I will carry out more in-depth examinations in France”explained to AFP Diane Parry, saying she preferred to give to France “maximum chances by putting Varvara today, sure that she will be 1,000% on the court”.
But Gracheva was unable to do anything against the Colombian leader, invested with a mission and finally aligned in the decisive doubles.
The great lady of the weekend dominated Gracheva in two sets. Confirming her break in the sixth game (4-2), she flew to win the first set, Varvara Gracheva showing difficulty in holding the rallies on the clay court of Sopo, at an altitude of 2,600 meters in the suburbs of Bogota.
The French Clara Burel during her single remort against the Colombian Emiliana Arango in the dam of BJK Cup on November 17, 2024 in Sopo near Bogota / Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP
The Colombian alternated blows, varying her game during the exchange, and served for the match. Condemned to attack, the Frenchwoman saw two forehands remain in the net but saved a first match point with a backhand acceleration on the line. She finally decided on her second opportunity.
But she lost her serve once again, at 30-40 her easy smash went out of bounds. Camila Osorio was not going to let this second chance pass and finally won 7 games to 5, recovering two break points.
Head down
With her back to the wall in the fourth singles, Clara Burel painfully snatched victory against Emiliana Arango, the 24-year-old Colombian who has progressed over the matches.
Thanks to his returns on the second ball in particular (and Arango’s 11 double faults), Burel finally won in two sets 7-5, 6-4.
Everything came down to the doubles, where Burel finally took the place initially planned for Gracheva, alongside Chloé Paquet.
The joy of Colombians Camila Osorio and Emiliana Arango after winning the decisive doubles of the BJK Cip play-off against France on November 17, 2024 in Sopo near Bogota / Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP
The Colombian pair got into the game better, with Emiliana Arango further increasing her level of play and especially her service. The Colombians broke in the fourth game to win 6-3.
Solid, especially on Paquet’s serve, the French came back from behind in the second set to lead 3-2, then 4-2 by taking on Osorio who released three long balls after a double fault.
But Burel, still stumbling on his first ball, immediately lost the lead he had obtained and Colombia, saving two break points on his commitment, recovered at 4 all before serving for the match.
The first match ball stuck in the net. The second was the good one on a flying return from Paquet. The Colombians were exultant, the French left with their heads down.
