Paris (AFP)

After a good start to the season, French men's tennis, led by his trio Pouille-Monfils-Tsonga, has sunk in recent weeks. So the title of Benoît Paire in Lyon shows a glimpse at Roland Garros that begins Sunday?

Not sure. Admittedly, this third ATP title will not be taken away from Paire, all the more remarkable as it is won against one of the greatest hopes of international tennis, the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (28th worldwide). But ... he said he was injured and could not fully defend his chances.

Never mind, Paire (51st) assured Saturday after his victory that he would play Roland Garros with "the desire to do beautiful things".

And that's good, because the upturn in early 2019 by the men's tricolor after having crossed last year its worst season on the ATP circuit since 1980, without any quarter-finalist Grand Slam, did not do long fire.

Forgotten the semi-final of Lucas Pouille (24 years) at the Australian Open, the title of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (34 years) in Montpellier, that of Gael Monfils (32 years) in Rotterdam. Forgotten yet the half of Monfils in Dubai and his quarter in Indian Wells ... where he was forced to forfeit.

Since then, it is the return to calm flat or almost.

Apulia, briefly back in the top 20 after his Australian adventure, was quickly ejected again (25th): since Melbourne, the heir to the generation of "neo-Musketeers" won a match on the circuit principal, in Madrid early May (against Coric). At the same time, he has stacked seven defeats. The student of Amelie Mauresmo, in search of confidence, has never passed the third round Porte d'Auteuil.

- Monfils and Tsonga in the blur -

In others, it is rather the body squeaks.

Achilles tendon at Indian Wells mid-March, ankle before Monte Carlo mid-April, "soft" against Roger Federer in Madrid and lack of energy, more knee bandaged, in Rome in May: Monfils, current N. 1 French (16th), accumulates physical glitches for two months.

It does not prevent him from reaffirming his capital ambitions after tournament: "I want to win a Grand Slam, simply Roland Garros is the one I want to win, but it is more global, "he repeated in the Spanish capital. We know how much the Parisian, semi-finalist on clay in Paris in 2008, is able to shine. In the meantime, he can only win three ocher victories in his pocket.

After a season 2018 largely truncated because of a left operated and recalcitrant left knee, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, he regained his place in the top 100 (85th). But he was overtaken by the symptoms of the sickness of the blood, sickle cell disease, which he suffers. Abandon at Monte Carlo, package at Madrid, reversal of entry to Rome. This week in Lyon, he reached the quarter-finals, winning his first matches since Marrakech in April when he had reached the semi-finals.

Gilles Simon (29) is, him, downright physically disoriented: since his semifinal in Marrakech, he has garnered only one victory, Monte Carlo.

- Simon does not know what to do anymore -

"It's hard at the moment, it's really painful to play, I'm trying hard but I can not get fit," he said in Madrid where he lost in the first round. do not know what to do, I feel that by taking breaks, I am out of shape.

As for Richard Gasquet (39th), he just returned to the circuit after six months away from the courts and a painful operation of an inguinal hernia in January.

So it may be the female scene that will come the sunbeam: in addition to the French N.1 Caroline Garcia (24th), finalist in Strasbourg, Kristina Mladenovic (54th) has also given good form weeks, including a quarter-final in Rome achieved thanks to two successes against two Top 15 (Bencic and Barty) in one day.

In delicate posture since long months, no doubt in any case that she will be keen to make fruit its new collaboration with Sascha Bajin, the former coach of the world N.1 Naomi Osaka.

? 2019 AFP