The 29-year-old Frenchman earned his place in the big picture after beating Austrian Jurij Rodionov in the third qualifying round on Thursday.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds before collapsing in tears on his chair, the time to realize what he had just done. Lucas Pouille is resilient. A year ago, the French fell into depression and began a long crossing of the desert. Time has passed and the Habs, fallen to 670th in the world, knocked down Jurij Rodionov, Thursday, May 25, on a white-hot No. 14 court, to afford his ticket for the main round of Roland-Garros.
Twelve months passed after this defeat against Zdenek Kolar on the same court, after an invitation from the organization. This time, the Northerner went to get his sesame by dismissing the seeded number 22 in three sets (1-6, 7-5, 6-0).
A new chapter
Three days ago, he laid the first stone for his comeback with a success over Tomas Machac. “JI think it’s the victory that has given me the most pleasure for almost four years. I arrived at Roland with too few landmarks, certainties“, he explained.
“My first lap last year here was not the best of memories. I remember it was 10:30 p.m. I had finished. We were with Thierry (Ascione), Félix (Mantilla), my physio and my wife at a table in the restaurant. There was no one there. I had my head down repeating to myself what I was doing on a court.”
Lucas Pouille, qualified for the first round of Roland-Garrosat franceinfo: sport
Benchmarks, Lucas Pouille shows that he still lacks them on the court. If his forehand still squirts as well, the waste glimpsed against a real earthling like Tseng is confirmed against Jurij Rodionov, more powerful than his previous opponent. The French stumbles on a bone. A 6-1 taken from the start and the feeling that the step is too high. Perhaps it was necessary to digest this public who came in large numbers, these crowded stands and a queue stretching over twenty meters at the exit of the court.From the moment I stepped onto the pitch, an emotion overwhelmed me. The audience was just amazing, there are no words“, blew the French after the meeting.
No respite is granted to Lucas Pouille, not even after all his galleys. Sluggish for almost 30 minutes, the French however raised the tone to 2-2 after a disputed game. And raise your fist. The attitude changes and the French let go. He wins the second set and completely unpins Rodionov as the audience increases the decibels. An overflow of emotion for Clémence, Puglia’s companion, who felt unwell at the end of the second round. Without consequences.
Pouille writes its history
The French is launched. As against Tseng, he rolls out and pockets the third and final set on a new bicycle wheel, 6-0. Before relaxing. In tears in the stands, his companion knows the path taken. “When I stopped, she struggled with it. She kept saying, ‘Doesn’t that make you want to?’ And then she pushed me to play at Bercy for fun.” The beginning of the revival.
/2023/05/25/646fa207c5866_img-20230525-175239.jpg)
Now in the main draw, Lucas Pouille could afford a first gala round against Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medevedev, according to the draw made on Friday. For the French, however, the essential is elsewhere. “I want to enjoy more of the things and people that bring me pleasure, happiness, love“, he explains, smiling, before adding the mischievous look: “I would still like to play on 14 again.” Like a nod to history. Its history, that of its rebirth.