Tennis: Marcel Fayon Memorial tournament
Rene, Horpinitch win in memory of local tennis great
WITH the focus in Saturday’s women's singles final of the inaugural Marcel Fayon Memorial tournament on Sarah Rene to win on her comeback, it was Gloria Lauro who looked tight and unsure at the outset at the Roche Caïman courts.
After the younger Lauro struggled to hold serve in the first game, showing signs of nerves and with errors creeping into her ground strokes, former Seychelles number one Rene (formerly Zarquani) took charge.
Still looking fresh at the end of the match that she easily won 2-0 (6-2, 6-2), Rene said she did not play her best tennis.
“It’s normal for a player not to play her best tennis in a final. It’s because she feels tense,” said Rene, who dominated the game here some 22 years ago before retiring from competitive tennis.
“I only decided to take part in the tournament because the late Mr Fayon was my first coach,” she added.
Asked why young players don’t perform, Rene replied: “It’s not acceptable for a player who had been away for 22 years to come back and beat one of the best young players around.
“The best thing she has to do is to take lessons from the defeat. I believe that our top young players are too complacent and too mediocre. They have to train seriously.
“Being the best here is not enough. They have to be the best in the region. They can do it. They have the techniques and style,” she added.
After easily claiming the first set 6-1, Tim Horpinitch held off a fightback from national team coach Frederic Canale in the second, which he won 6-3 to capture the men’s singles Marcel Fayon Memorial tournament title.
Horpinitch, who is from Australia and worked as Seychelles’ coach for two years – 2001-2002 – said the final was an interesting affair.
“The score looks pretty easy, but it was a very tough match with long rallies. I played all right in the first set, but I pushed the ball too much in the second instead of hitting it,” said Horpinitch.
A physical education instructor at the International School (Seychelles), Horpinitch said that as long he stays fit, no one here can beat him and he also praised the Seychelles Tennis Association (STA) for hiring Frenchman Canale as national team coach.
“I’m happy that Canale is the national team coach. He has the qualities to bring Seychelles’ tennis to the next level. This is what I wanted to do, but unfortunately I was deprived of the opportunity when my contract was not renewed in 2003,” said Horpinitch.
Horpinitch also won the men’s doubles with partner Johan Vanderwatt on a 2-0 (6-0, 6-3) score against the pair of Trevor Camille and player of the year Markhous Kanté.
The women’s doubles title went to the pair of Lauro and Stephanie Ah-Shung after a come-from-behind 2-1 (1-6, 6-4, 10-8) win over the duo of player of the year Chloé Romain and Marie-May Isnard.
STA chairman John Adam thanked Julie Fayon, Marcel’s widow, for sponsoring the tournament and added that he hoped she will do it for many years to come.
Still an active player at 71 years old, Mrs Fayon joined her grandson to present glass trophies to the winners and runners-up in the presence of her son, Mike, who lives in Bordeaux, France, where he works as a medical doctor.
A local tennis great in his heyday, Mr Fayon died aged 63 in 1998.
To end the day, all present enjoyed snacks and drinks.
G. G.
Source: NATION 3-4-10