Like last week, Léo Raquin (ASM Belfort) was seeking a ticket this Friday for the semi-finals of an ITF tournament in Guatemala City ($15,000, outdoor hard).
But this time, the Bisontin did not manage to extricate itself from the clutches of the Brazilian Saraiva dos Santos, seeded No. 3 and 886th in the ATP. Failing to have converted his numerous break points (only 1 out of 13 in two sets), Léo Raquin remained at the mercy of the South American, who stole the second set in the deciding game without having had the slightest opportunity on the serve of the resident of Middle Tennessee State University.
The third set shifted into another dimension as Saraiva dos Santos led 5-2 then served for the match… before Raquin came back, led in turn 6-5 and served for the match too!
It was finally in the tie-break, won 9-7 by his opponent and after obtaining a match point, that the Franc-Comtois laid down his arms (5-7, 7-6, 7-6). After 3h04 and a completely crazy scenario.
With the French university team at the end of the month
Before returning to France in May 2025 at the end of his university course across the Atlantic, Léo Raquin will be back for a few weeks at the end of November.
With a first objective: the Master’U BNP Paribas, from November 27 to December 1 in Reims and Cormontreuil. “It’s a competition that brings together the best students from eight countries. I am going to play with the French team, with William Jucha (-15, Blanc-Mesnil) and Joshua Dous-Karpenschif (-2/6, TC Lyon),” explains Bisontin (ranked 0 at the FFT) who, then , will train in Franche-Comté until the beginning of January and his return to the United States.
