QF: French No1 Melissa too accurate today against compatriot Lauren

[1] Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-0 [8] Lauren Baltayan (FRA)  11-7, 11-7, 11-6 (34m)

Yann Menegaux, French National Coach
Analysing the match

For me — and that’s exactly what I told them — it wasn’t a particularly good match in terms of content.

They both made a lot of errors. I think there was some apprehension about playing each other; they’d never faced one another before. For Mel, it was about seeing a young player coming up, and for Lolo, it was about facing an established top player. So there was a bit of tension in their games.

They ended up playing more in the back of the court and making mistakes at the front. Lolo made more errors than usual — her attacks lacked quality — and Melissa too, though Mel managed to be sharper at the right moments at the front.

So in the end, what made the difference was Melissa’s ball quality, especially at the front of the court, even under pressure.

Lauren

Melissa is someone I have a lot of respect for.

We’ve played many team events together — she’s someone who really helps me, gives me a lot of advice, and I listen to her.

I knew, going on court today, that I had to put all that aside and just focus on my squash. I needed to find the right timing to attack — and honestly, I couldn’t quite manage to do that.

It was really hard to play Melissa. Not only is she the French number one, but she’s also someone who’s helped me so much. I think I just couldn’t detach myself from the respect I have for her.

It was the same when I played Farida (Mohamed) in Cairo (at the Egyptian Open last September) — I tried to set my feelings aside, but clearly I still have a lot of work to do on that front!!!

Melissa

She’s Egyptian at heart — and that’s fantastic. That’s what we love.

Her determination is what gave me the most trouble — that drive, that attitude of “I don’t care who’s on the other side of the court!” She steps on court to win, period.

And that’s exactly what we want. That’s what I want in a teammate. She’s the one I want beside me — to push me to stay at the top. Because if I want to remain the best, I need players like her breathing down my neck, showing me on court that they couldn’t care less who I am.

What’s really impressive about her is her speed. She gets everything! There were shots I thought were winners, and yet the ball kept coming back — again, and again, and again! At 9–6, 9–3, I’m up, and I’m thinking, “She’s going to give up now”… but no, she’s still repeating in Arabic, “Hang in there!” It’s incredible — and honestly, it’s cool! It forced me to stay laser-focused until I heard the word: Match. With her, it’s never over.

I think I’ve changed a lot since I’ve been spending more time in Egypt, working with Amr Khalifa and also with Raneem. It’s brought me calm, a new perspective, and people who truly believe in me — who tell me I can do it, that I can keep believing and keep going. And that feels really good.

Raneem, in particular, has this special kind of aura. Every bit of advice she gives, I believe in completely. And when you believe wholeheartedly in what you’re doing — even if it’s not the perfect thing — you’re still moving forward. When Raneem tells me something, when she points me in a direction, I trust her completely. Same with Khalifa.

Egypt is the country that dominates. It’s not that we’re not good here, but I think you need to explore different options, different perspectives, if you want to grow. And that’s refreshing.

And over there, there’s endless sparring! I’ve played so many of those young players like Lolo — so many! So when I face her, I already have the experience of playing loads of young guns — Nour Heikal, Khafargy… I’ve done tons of Copper tournaments for that reason.

It’s also helped me make choices – strategic ones – about where I need to go in my game, how I need to play. Egypt is a country with a mentality that suits me perfectly, and where I just feel good.

photos fersen_sherkann