RENNES, FRANCE – October 21, 2025 – France’s premier mixed doubles pair, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, demonstrated their fighting spirit in a grueling opening match at the French Open 2025, narrowly escaping an upset against a determined Thai duo at the Glaz Arena.
The French mainstays, seeded fifth and fresh off winning a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships in Paris just two months prior, were forced to battle for an exhausting one hour and fifteen minutes in their Round of 32 clash. They ultimately defeated the Thai pairing of Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat with a hard-fought three-game scoreline of 19-21, 21-15, 21-17.
The thrilling contest saw Gicquel and Delrue drop a tight first game, putting pressure on the home favorites. However, drawing on the resilience and big-match experience that secured their historic World Championships medal on home soil, the French duo found their rhythm in the second and third games. Delrue’s solid net play and Gicquel’s powerful finishing eventually wore down the challenge from the unseeded Thai opponents, sparking relief and cheers from the local crowd.
The victory earns Gicquel and Delrue a spot in the Round of 16, where they will face the winner of the match between Oleksii Titov/Yevheniia Kantemyr of Ukraine and Rohan Kapoor/Gadde Ruthvika Shivani of India. Given their recent top-tier form—including a Super 1000 title win this year—the French pair are strong favorites to advance further, potentially reaching the quarterfinals and cementing their status as genuine title contenders in Rennes.
Mixed Fortunes for the Popov Brothers
The first day of play brought mixed results for the highly-regarded Popov brothers in the men’s singles competition.
The younger brother, Christo Popov (seeded 8), secured a convincing passage into the Round of 16 with a clean sweep over Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei. Christo showed control and precision, winning in two straight games with a score of 21-11, 21-19 in 45 minutes. The commanding performance sets up a difficult but manageable challenge in the next round as Christo looks to continue his upward trajectory in the world rankings.
However, the French team saw one of their major men’s singles hopes fall. Toma Junior Popov was unable to join his sibling in the Round of 16, succumbing to another Chinese Taipei representative, Lee Chia-hao. Toma Junior was defeated in straight games, 16-21, 17-21. The early exit is a disappointment for the former European Champion, who will now regroup after failing to pass the initial hurdle in front of the home crowd.
With Gicquel/Delrue and Christo Popov safely through, the French contingent has set a strong foundation, but the demanding three-game win for the mixed doubles pair serves as a stark reminder that no victory comes easily on the BWF World Tour. All eyes now turn to the Round of 16 as Gicquel and Delrue look to push for another medal-winning run in their home country.