A new weekend rich in emotions has just ended, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 January. After two weeks full of twists and turns, Novak Djokovic will finally not play the Australian Open. Far from these considerations, the biathlete Quentin Fillon Maillet and the French handball team shone. It was more mixed for French clubs in the European Rugby Cup.
Novak Djokovic, this time it’s over
The Djokovic soap opera is finally over. Sunday morning, the world number 1 buried his last hopes of participating in the Australian Open. Australian justice dismissed the Serb and ordered him to leave the territory, on the eve of the start of the tournament. His visa canceled, he left Australia for Dubai at the end of the day.
The judges validated the decision of the Ministry of Immigration which fell on Friday, which explained that Novak Djokovic was “likely to pose a health risk to the Australian community“. After two weeks of wavering, it’s a terrible blow for the world number 1, defending champion and victorious nine times at the Australian Open.
Quentin Fillon Maillet always on top
Not a weekend goes by without the French biathlon team shining this season. It becomes a habit, Quentin Fillon Maillet splashed the pursuit of Ruhpolding with his talent, winning hands down. A fourth success in pursuit for the Frenchman, author of a very good 18/20 in shooting. He took full advantage of the absence of the Norwegian favourites.
Life on a cloud 5th victory, 4th success in pursuit I have been living a childhood dream for a few weeks
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K.VOIGT
.@fischersports #juraflora @ViessmannFrance #bearcounter pic.twitter.com/QnGr1TtQQ4— Quentin Fillon Maillet (@quentinfillon) January 16, 2022
This performance allows Fillon Maillet to increase his lead at the top of the World Cup. The Jura player is now 97 points ahead of his rival Sebastian Samuelsson. A good omen, two and a half weeks before the start of the Beijing Olympics.
The French handball team takes place
Everything is going well for the French handball team, at the start of the European championship. Already victorious over Croatia at the opening, the Blues made short work of the modest Ukraine on Saturday (36-23). With this success obtained by resting a few executives, including Nikola Karabatic, Guillaume Gille’s players opened the doors wide open to the main round.
“There were doubts about players who had not been able to do the preparation, or not in its entirety, but they responded present”, analyzed former international Jérôme Fernandez after the match. The Blues find Serbia on Monday, for this last meeting of the preliminary round. Even if the qualification is almost in their pocket, the French have every interest in aiming for the win to position themselves as well as possible in the next round.
Champions Cup: opposite destinies for French clubs
After a second day largely truncated by the Covid-19, the third weekend of the European Rugby Cup was contrasted for the tricolor teams. Racing 92 validated its qualification in eighth by winning at the Ospreys (10-25). It is also in the pocket for La Rochelle, serious against Bath (39-21). Bordeaux-Bègles (45-10 against the Scarlets) and Clermont (25-19 against Sale) are also in the right car, but it will be necessary to confirm next weekend. Despite its defeat at the Wasps (30-22), Toulouse remains in a favorable position.
On the other hand, the situation is more complex for Castres, overthrown by Munster (13-16), and for Stade Français, beaten in Bristol (28-17). Both clubs are on the verge of elimination. Finally, Montpellier is still in the game for qualification, but its historic defeat at Leinster (89-7!) is frankly messy.