[11] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Simon Herbert (ENG) : 3-1 Scores: 7-11, 11-3, 13-11, 12-10 (46m)
Next opponent: Tarek Momen / Addeen Idrakie
Victor : In the game, I’m struggling. But then again, it’s tough for everyone at the moment, I just have to do my best.
At the moment, my main goal is to win matches to try and find that form more regularly, throughout a game, throughout a match. And by winning matches, I’ll manage to set aside the little voice and keep moving forward.
Instead of falling into a hole and a negative spiral during matches, I’m trying to fight, no matter what, and today is a good example, I think. My goal is to win matches and advance round by round. I hope to raise my game from average to even bad to better; it will help me.
You have to give him so much credit because he attacks every ball, even on the return of serve, even when he plays from the back. It’s very unsettling, and it adds extra pressure, this rigour he demands of me.
So, yes, I’m struggling, but at the same time, I’m very happy to win matches like these. These are the matches you have to win, and I’ve lost them this season. I don’t feel like I’m at my best on the court, even though I still enjoy it as much. It’s the tactical choices, the trajectories, that I’m losing a bit.
It’s the first time I’ve reached the round of 16 in the Worlds after many tries—7th, I think. So I’m going to enjoy my day off and Monday here at Palm Hills on the glass court. Difficult conditions, tricky bounces, and very hot—I’ll have to adapt.
