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Florent Serra

40K views 337 replies 54 participants last post by  lalaland 
#1 ·
Even if he defeated Paulo in the quarters :( I think he deserves a thread as he reaches his first final... :)
He beat Pavel in the semis 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-3 :yeah:
And he will play Andreev in the final.
Good luck Florent :worship:
 
#10 ·
:eek: He won!
Honestly, I didn't expect him to win. He had already won Pavel (in RG) so I knew he could beat him in the semis but now Andreev in a final!!! That's a great win. Congrats Florent :woohoo:
He has great results this season. Go on like this Florent :worship:
 
#14 ·
Florent is :Yeaaah: . Just have had an interview with him. I hope he wins today ehhh I promised him to shout "Allez Florent" on the match hahah hopefully I won't have any other task for that time.

I write things from the Szczecin challenger in the tournament's thread.
 
#17 ·
Congratulate Serra with this victory and want to ask a question. Who he is? LOL Well, I just want to know some special facts about him. Maybe somebody (like Nathaliia?..) has met him or has read something etc. Seems this guy is almost the only French who is going to visit my land in the last months of this year...
 
#18 ·
I met him too :p....Special facts about him :hmmm he doesnt speak English very good and it is a really nice guy..I mean he will talk to you take as many pics as you want,always happy and always smiling :D I like him a lot.
Is Paulo going to play in Russia too?:confused:
 
#19 ·
Here is an article published in L'équipe magazine (saturday's special issue):

La perf de la semaine
A 24 ans, Florent Serra a remporté, dimanche dernier à Bucarest, son premier titre sur le grand circuit. Par José Barroso

Pas de résultats chez les jeunes
Contrairement aux champions français découverts souvent dès la classe biberon, Serra n'a aucune référence chez les juniors (seulement un Roland Garros disputé en 1999, défaite au 2nd tour). Il a suivi une scolarité classique dans sa Gironde natale, conclue à 18 ans par un bac ES. Remarqué par la fédé, il a alors rejoint le centre national d'entraînement à Roland Garros, où il est toujours basé, coaché aujourd'hui par Jérôme Potier.

Des difficultés avec le haut niveau
Jusque-là, le grand circuit ne lui avait pas réussi. Avant Bucarest, il n'y avait disputé que onze tournois, et son meilleur résultat était un 2ème tour. Il a davantage frequenté l'anonyme circuit Challenger (tournois de 2ème catégorie), où il a remproté deux titres cette année. "Même si ce n'est pas le même niveau, ça m'a beaucoup aidé pour ma finale à Bucarest, j'avais déjà l'expérience d'une finale", explique-t-il. Après son titre, il a d'ailleurs filé vers Szczecin (Pologne) où il joue cette semaine en Challenger.

Une année de haut vol
Passé pro en 2000, il a stagné plusieurs années entre le 200è et le 300è rang mondial. Au début de l'année, il pointait encore à la 213è place. Mais, depuis, il s'est envolé: premiers matchs gagnés en Grand Chelem (à Roland Garros puis à l'US Open) premières victoires en Challenger (Mexico, Rimini), et maintenant premier titre sur le circuit ATP. Les fruits d'une "grosse préparation physique" l'hiver dernier et d'un credo simple sur le court: "Cette année, je me suis dit: je donne tout, à chaque instant." Le voilà 58ème à l'ATP.

Un coup de pouce libérateur
Il est le premier à l'admettre: à Bucarest, il a eu "beaucoup de chance". Au 1er tour, il a sauvé 3 balles de match face au Roumain Victor Crivoi (318ème ATP). Totalement libéré, lui habituellement si anxieux repart avec la coupe six jours et cinq matchs plus tard. Un juste retour des choses: l'an dernier, à Roland Garros, il s'était incliné au premier tour, 9-7 au 5ème set, après avoir laissé filé neuf balles de match. :eek:

Des rêves cachés
Modeste, il ne confait jusque-là que son ambition d' "entrer dans le top 100 et gagner un Challenger". Maintenant qu'il a tteind et dépassé ces objectifs, à lui de prouver que son épopée roumaine n'était pas qu'un coup de chance. D'ici la fin de la saison, il dispute Moscou et St-Petersbourg, et les qualifs de Madrid et Bercy (à moins qu'il bénéficie d'une wild-card). Et il ose annoncer ses deux plus beaux rêves: "Aller loin à Roland Garros et jouer en Coupe Davis".


Here is the translation (sorry but I couldn't translate some bits ;) )

The performance of the week

At 24, Florent Serra won, last Sunday in Bucarest, his first title in the ATP tour. By José Barroso

No results in the junior circuit
Unlike all the French champions revealed at a very young age (classe biberon??? :baby: ) Serra has no reference in the junior tour (he only played Roland Garros in 1999 and was defeated in the 2nd round). He had a classic schooling in Gironde (his motherland) and left school at 18 after a "baccalauréat" (= english GCEA levels) in economic and social sciences. Noticed by the federation, he then joined the national center of training in Roland Garros, where he still is, coached by Jerôme Potier.

Difficulties with the high-level
Until then, he didn't succeed in the ATP tour. Before Bucarest, he only had played 11 ATP tournaments and his best result was a 2nd round. He patronized more the anonymous challenger tour where he won 2 titles this year. "Even if it's not the same level, il helped me a lot for my final in Bucarest, I had already played finals" he explains. After his final, he then went to Szczecin (Poland) where he plays, this week, a challenger.

A "taking flight" (haut-vol???) 2005
He turned pro in 2000 but stayed for several years between the 200th and the 300th ranking. At the beginning of the year, he was still at the 213th rank. But, since then, he has taken wing: 1st win in Grand Slam (in Roland Garros and then at the US Open), first wins in Challengers (Mexico, Rimini) and now 1st ATP title. The fruits of a "big fitness training" last winter and an easy creed on court: "This year, I have told myself: I give all, at every instant." Now, he is 58th at the ATP.

A liberating "coup de pouce" ( :confused: )
He is the first one to admit it: in Bucarest, he has been "very lucky". In the 1st round, he saved 3 match points against Victor Crivoi (Romanian ranked 318th). Totally liberated, while he is usually so anxious, he left with the cup six days and 5 matches later. Just a little revenge ( :confused: I couldn't translate literally) over his misfortune in Roland Garros, last year, where he was defeated in the 5th set (9-7) after having wasted 9 match points.

Hidden dreams
Humble, his ambition until then was to "enter the top 100 and win a challenger". Now that he has reached and surpassed this objectives, he has to prove his romanian epic was not just a lucky break. From now to the ed of the season, he will play Moscow, St-Petersbourg and the qualies of Madrid and Bercy (unless he gets a WC). And he dares to confess that his most 2 beautiful dreams are "to go far in Roland Garros and to play in the Davis Cup team".

Well! That was long! I feel tired now ;)
 
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#20 · (Edited)
Thx for the article and translation, Julie! :yeah:
Here are some pics of Florent during his Quarterfinal against Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS at the Pekao Open/ Szczecin Challenger in Poland from the official site of the tourney... (The draw )

He (5) lost in Semifinal against Alberto Martin ESP (2) 3-6/6-3/6-4. ;)

He'll play in Palermo now.

Edit: Here's a lil' video interview after his first ever victory in a Slam at the R1 of RG 2005 (another shy guy...)
 

Attachments

#24 ·
(8)D Sanguinetti (ITA) d F Serra (FRA) 67(10) 61 62

Apparently, he played relatively well in the first set and lead 5-1 then got tight or something so he let Sanguinetti come back and was pushed to a tie-break where he had 4/5 or so MPs for him and 1/2 against him but eventually won it 12-10.
Then it seems he completely self-destructed from what's been said :shrug: , plus Sanguinetti is in good form now despite his 33 years and played well...
Croat123 said in the scores thread that it was a very bad match on Serra's part and i think he was able to watch it on Sportitalia.
Anyway, it's a good lesson (he's having the same problems he had before his little breakthrough and he mustn't let them come back...) and he was the underdog so...
Next? ;)
 
#25 ·
That's sad...:sad:
The thing is yesterday I wanted to bet on him on this match and I've just realized that I made a mistake and I bet on Sanguinetti... :eek: So, you can blame me... I jinxed him!
 
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