Belgrade (AFP)

Murdered by their defeat last year, the French basketball players took their revenge on the Belgians 84 to 80 after extra time, Thursday in Belgrade, by fetching the resources deep in their hearts: they will play the semi-finals of the Euro for the sixth time in a row.

The road is now wide open for a fourth consecutive final because it is the surprise guest of the last square, Great Britain, a nation without reference in basketball, they will face Saturday before, perhaps, to play the title against Serbia or Spain.

The victory is infinitely sweet for many reasons: because "there was a liability", as the coach Valérie Garnier reminded, against the Belgians who had swept them in the quarter-finals of the World Cup-2018. Because it gives France a ticket for an Olympic qualifying tournament, the essential objective of this Euro. And because the Blue went to get her "with the guts", as Valerian Ayayi said.

"We start very hard, but they come back and they go in. We have the nerves to get the extension where we do the work," summed the wingman, with tears, happiness and relief, in his voice, the emotions were strong for 45 minutes.

- A record Gruda -

After a shotgun start (+11 after a quarter-time), the Blues have seen their delay melt (+3 at the break). It took a huge performance from Sandrine Gruda (33 points, her record in the French team, 10 rebounds and a ruthless defense on the best Belgian, Emma Meesseman) to keep them in the race. Five minutes from the end, it is still the "Belgian Cats", the rising value of European basketball, which were six points ahead.

"I'm not going to lie, at one point we said: + no, not two summers in a row against the Belgians! +", Confessed the captain Endy Miyem, who had not digested the defeat of Tenerife.

But the French women have not abdicated. "We had a strong mental, it was a huge match in intensity, we were badly treated, they had a lot of chances to kill the game, but we made the necessary defensive stops and they were stifled at the end, "said the leader Olivia Epoupa, the other great lady of the match: 13 points, 9 rebounds (for a player of 1.64!), 5 assists and 5 steals, including a crucial in the last moments of regulation time.

Ten seconds from the end, the Franco-American Bria Hartley (12 points) managed the shot at three points of survival (68-68). The luck of the Belgians had passed.

Past the precipice, the Blue do not want to stop there. Suspicious before the match against Great Britain - "if they are there is that they deserve it", were they many to say - they dream of the gold that escaped them in the final of the three previous editions. "We came for a TQO, but also for something else ...", said Valerian Ayayi.

? 2019 AFP