The doubles final in Umag was a true spectacle. Because of the tennis? Also, because doubles is often incredibly fast-paced, requires catlike reactions, and is therefore always spectacular. But in this case, that wasn’t the main reason. No, it was the group of crazy French fans who also created a lively atmosphere in the stadium during their compatriot Titouan Droguet’s singles quarterfinal.
Adorned with beautiful headgear, one of which was a kind of swimming cap made of a Velcro-like material, they made themselves heard and seen during the changeovers. Balls were thrown into the crowd. The goal was to throw them back to the swimming cap, with different scores being awarded if the ball actually stuck to the cap. Loud cheers followed. Occasionally, however, the ball unintentionally landed on center court. The finalists had no problem with that. Despite the serious competition—after all, an ATP-final is about something—they mostly had a lot of fun with the cheerful French. The photos clearly show that. Naturally, the primary focus of support went to the French/Monegasque duo Manuel Guinard and Romain Arneodo. They were battling for the title against the German/American pair Marcus Willis and Patrik Trhac. A battle in which the differences between both teams were small, but the victory ultimately went to Guinard and Arneodo (7-5, 7-6(2)). Perhaps the support from our French friends was the deciding factor.
For Manuel Guinard and Romain Arneodo, it was their second victory as a duo. Earlier, they had won the Monte Carlo tournament (a Masters 1000 tournament). The joy was immense, with Frenchman Manuel Guinard in particular going wild and actively involving the French fans in the title celebrations. It was great to see that opponent Marcus Willis, though the losing finalist, also enthusiastically joined in the winners’ celebrations with their fans. During the match, it was also clear that German Willis, in particular, was incredibly appreciative of the French fans. The photos speak for themselves.
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