Tennis, 16th edition of the international seniors + tournament: The men's singles opened the ball

Starting this Monday, the matches will be back-to-back. The organizers of the Périgueux International Seniors + Tournament will therefore be busy. "We've decided to move the kickoff to 8:30 a.m. on Sunday instead of 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, which means it's going to be a busy week," assures Philippe Veersé, a member of the CAP tennis board, which is hosting the tournament. And Mary Jane Marty wouldn't disagree. This Sunday morning, the director was running around everywhere. But not on a court! She was busy taking care of the side events.

Because there's more to this tournament than just tennis. There are 125 registered this year, three or four more than last year. So we have to please everyone. Those who will be eating lunch, those who will be thirsty, and other needs, which the CAP tennis volunteers will try to meet.

Self-arbitration

In this rush, the match formats have even changed. "Matches are played in two winning sets with a ten-point tiebreak to decide the tie. This means there is no third set," insists Philippe Veersé.

This inevitably caused some grumbling. But overall, the competitors this Sunday morning were quite satisfied with the organization. Otherwise, they wouldn't come back every year. This is the case for two Varois, playing in the 75 and over category. One is coming for the sixth time, the other discovered the tournament last year. "I'm almost 80, can you imagine!" the latter says, before introducing himself to the referee, whom he knows well and who is looking for his name on the list: "I'm Djokovic," he says jokingly.

The matches follow one another, nine in number this Sunday morning. The warm-up is studious, the players know each other and encourage each other in a friendly atmosphere. The drop shots are clean, the serves are oiled, and the spectators are witnessing some beautiful play. Here, we self-referee, we water the court. In short, this senior tournament also involves a bit of resourcefulness, but everyone generally finds a match that fits.

This Monday, it will also be the women's turn to take to the track. As a reminder, there are 93 men and 32 women registered, and the most represented category is the 75 and over category, both for men and women. In addition, this tournament also counts towards the upcoming world championships, which will take place in Croatia in October and where Mary Jane Marty will be featured.