“My body cramped all over and I couldn’t move even though I was ahead. Obviously disappointed, but I pushed through what my body could do today. » This is what Laurent Lokoli wrote a few hours after his setback, Wednesday, in the first round of qualifying for the Australian Open against the Italian Federico Gaio (4-6, 6-4, 3-2. ab) .
“My body suddenly shut down”
The player, frozen near the baseline, benefited from the help of his opponent and the referee, who brought him a chair before he could reach his bench. Medical support was not enough to revive him and he gave up four games later at the end of his physical strength and let his rival of the day reach the second round.
“At the moment, I don’t know what happened to me, why my body suddenly shut down. Excuses do not make us move forward, what we need to do is move forward, work, and come back stronger,” he explained a little later on his social networks. He ends this Australian Open on this bitter note, leaving the twelve remaining Tricolores to enter the final table.
