Nice (AFP)

French professional players found the "semi-official" competition (outside the pro circuit, it does not distribute ATP or WTA points) Monday in Nice for the launch of the Elite FFT Challenge, with enthusiasm in spite of restrictive sanitary conditions.

"Repeat tournaments, replay, feel the pressure, I missed it! The training is good a moment, but it started to be long. In addition, the setting is exceptional, the courts are great, everything was set up so that we can play well, "rejoiced Kyrian Jacquet (537th in the world), after his victory against Grégoire Barrère (95th).

"I had already played against him in training and today it was good to play him in a match, and even more to win!", Insisted Jacquet.

Under an oppressive sun and at the foot of the Baou de Saint-Jeannet, this huge rock which overlooks the Var plain, the sanitary measures were quickly forgotten by the players, too happy to participate in the launch of this mini-tour of three tournaments in the Alpes-Maritimes set up by the French Federation (FFT) as part of its plan to support tricolor tennis in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

The device, closely monitored by FFT doctor Bernard Montalvan, is however heavy: serological tests and in the nose, corridors to follow, changing rooms with very limited access, greetings via snowshoeing, no public if not relatives, coaches or some rare members of the Tennis Club des Combes, host of the event, a referee and three line judges, no ball pickers.

These measures will be the same during the two other stages of this mini circuit, endowed with 282,000 euros in total and played on hard to prepare the American tour, in Cannes (July 13-18) then in Villeneuve-Loubet (July 20-25 ).

"It teaches us the protocols to follow because it will not be only for these tournaments there, said the young Clara Burel (506th world at 19). At first, we say that it will be a little painful, but we s "getting used to it is not very complicated. The test in the nose, a little more ..."

- Mladenovic beaten -

Her enthusiasm is certainly increased tenfold by her performance of the day: she has just dominated the tricolor N.1 Kristina Mladenovic (42nd) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

"We are lucky to have girls like Kristina who come to play these tournaments in France. It allows players like me who are a little lower and younger to be able to have the experience of playing against her. good matches that will serve to resume the real competition ", continues Burel.

Mladenovic, she left the club without saying a word to the handful of journalists authorized to follow this first day of the competition.

Barrère also struggled to hide his nervousness after his defeat against Jacquet (6-3, 3-6 and 10/2 in the super tie break).

"These are semi-official matches, it's not always easy," said the 26-year-old, who, being in the Top 100, is impatiently awaiting the official resumption of the ATP circuit, scheduled for August 13.

"The real flavor will be ATP! But it allows you to train, to play with different players, to have a little bit of prize money. It is a good thing that the Fed has put this in place, but it will never replace ATP, "he said.

Secondary circuits or Grand Slam tournaments, the objectives are different. But the pleasure of playing the Elite FFT Challenge is shared.

© 2020 AFP