Toma Junior Popov scored a double blow this Saturday. Opposing the world number one in the discipline, the Dane Viktor Axelsen, the French badista created the feat at the European Championships in Saarbrücken (Germany) by winning in three sets (21-19, 17-21, 21- 9) to join the final of the event, this Sunday.
But above all, the 25th player in the world and French number two in the world rankings punched his ticket for the Paris 2024 Games by overtaking his brother Christo at the last minute, better ranked than him (20th) and who seemed to be holding the rope to win the single qualifying place reserved for France for the men's singles event.
More consistent than Axelsen, the Frenchman made the difference at the start of a third set which he won quite easily to win for the first time in four confrontations against his rival. He will meet another Dane in the final this Sunday, Anders Antonsen (4th in the world) to try to win the European title, he who failed on the third step of the podium in 2022.
The sacred mixed doubles, the ladies' doubles in the final
“It’s satisfying, a step forward in my progression and my career. I'm relieved to be in the final, it's been three times that I stopped in the semi-finals, it's my first minimum silver medal at the Senior European Championships. I'm very happy. Christo? It's a family victory. Without him I wouldn't be here, I owe him a lot,” Popov confided after the meeting, in comments reported by L'Equipe.
A sign of the good form of French badminton almost three months before the Games, the pair composed of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won the mixed doubles event. Main chance of a French medal in Paris, the duo became European champions for the first time after a controlled encounter against the Danish pair Christiansen/Bøje (21-16, 21-15).
Also note the qualification for the women's doubles final of Anne Tran and Margot Lambert, who defeated the Dutch pair Seinen-Jille (21-15, 21-12) and will challenge the Bulgarian Stoeva sisters for the title. The finals will be watched this Sunday from 2 p.m. on badmintoneurope.tv.