Week 40 - Futures F16 (M) - Nevers, France

Drew · Sep 29, 2007

Week 40 - Futures F16 (M) - Nevers, France

wolf · Tennis legend

No, he sounds French to me.

Drew · Sep 29, 2007

wolf wrote:

No, he sounds French to me.

Defo...a quick google brings this up...

http://www.guillaumegiraud.net/

Just about nothing on this site.....but enough to confirm his frenchness...!

Drew · Sep 29, 2007

Hold that thought...

From this article :

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.tennis-belge.be/articles2005/Divers/art_Giraud.php&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DgirAUD,%2BGuillaume%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DIBMA,IBMA:2006-39,IBMA:en

Guillaume would not change his new way of life for nothing in the world. Initially because it enabled him to carry out some of its dreams of kid like that to press the courts of Roland-Garros for the championship of France 4th series. And it is not finished since, also having British nationality, it will take part, at the beginning of August, with the Championships veterans of Great Britain in Wimbledon.

He seems to be an ageing Belgian-British cross-breed in his mid 40's !!!

Drew · Sep 29, 2007

Our 'new' hope....

Giraud Guillaume...

steven · Tennis legend

Fabulous. :)

I get the feeling he misheard "Which tournament do you want to enter next?" as "When will you get a ranking point?" and answered accordingly ...

steven · Tennis legend

Just been digging on his site - this is extreme madness, but I love it!

ITF have him as born in French Guyana, living in Belgium, representing GB. http://www.itftennis.com/seniors/players/player.asp?player=100075789

Project & objectives:

En 2003, pour des raisons indépendantes de ma volonté, jai touché le fond... Pour men sortir, jai décidé de partir à la poursuite de mon rêve denfance : devenir joueur de tennis professionnel et pouvoir rencontrer John McEnroe dans un tournoi international !

In 2003, for reasons outside my control, I touched the depths ... In order to bring myself out of it, I decided to set off in pursuit of my childhood dream : becoming a professional tennis player and being able to meet John McEnroe in an international tournament.

Pourtant, javais alors presque 35 ans, je navais jamais pratiqué ce sport à haut niveau, je nai été que moyennement classé une seule année de ma vie ("15/5" français en 1986), et entre lâge de 17 et 34 ans, je nai pas touché ma raquette ni pratiqué dactivité sportive régulière pour cause détudes dingénieur et de vie de famille (mariage et 3 enfants).

However, I was then 35, I had never played the sport at a high level, I had only been averagely ranked for a single year of my life (15/5 French in 1986), and between the ages of 17 and 34, I hadn't touched my racquet nor done any regular sport due to my engineering studies and family life (marriage and 3 children).

Mais depuis que je me suis lancé dans le tennis, le virus sest emparé de moi (500 matchs de tournoi en 2 ans et demi !), jai vécu des expériences formidables (des matchs officiels sur les terrains de Roland Garros, de Wimbledon et de Monte-Carlo !!), à tel point que jai désormais décidé de mettre de côté mon activité professionnelle de traducteur-interprète indépendant pour me consacrer à mon sport-passion, en mentraînant 5 heures par jour et en participant à au moins un tournoi par semaine, à un niveau toujours plus élevé. Avec comme objectif ultime de jouer sur le circuit ATP dans les 3 ans à venir.

But since I threw myself into tennis, the bug has taken hold of me (500 tournament matches in 2 and a half years !), I've had some wonderful experiences (official matches on the courts of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Monte Carlo !!), to the point where I have decided to put my professional activity as a translator-interpretor to one side in order to dedicate myself to my passion for sport, training 5 hour per day and taking part in at least one tournament per week, at a level that gets higher and higher. With the ultimate objective of playing on the ATP tour in the next 3 years.

Un projet fait de rêve, defforts et de persévérance que je vous propose de découvrir sur ce site. Vous y trouverez tous les détails de mon parcours personnel et professionnel plutôt atypique, vous pourrez vous amuser avec quelques jeux tennistiques exclusifs, et enfin, si ce défi vous passionne ou vous fait rêver, vous pourrez me soutenir en devenant un de mes "Partenaires officiels", à titre professionnel ou individuel.

A project made of dreams, effort and perseverance that I propose to let you discover through this site. You will find here all of the details of my rather unusual personal and professional journey, you will be able to amuse yourselves with some exclusive tennis games and finally, if this challenge excites you or makes you dream, you will be able to support me by becoming one of my 'Official Sponsors', professionally or individually.

My 3-year plan

Dun point de vue pratique, mes objectifs pour les 3 ans à venir (dici à décembre 2008) sont les suivants :

From a practical point of view, my aims for the coming 3 years (from here to December 2008) are as follows:

- regional aims (Nord-PdC in France, Liege province in Belgium)
- become the best over-35 player
- get into the top 8 overall
- national aims
- get into the top 50 in Belgium
- get into the top 100 in France
(how many nationalities does this guy have?!)
- international aims
- become world no. 1 on the ITF over 35 circuit (currently 26th)
- reach the QFs at the World Championships for this age group (he reached the L32 this year)
- play on the ATP tour and get at least one ranking point!

Why do I have high hopes of success?

Parce que je suis poussé en avant par la force dun rêve denfance qui a attendu 25 ans avant de pouvoir se libérer

Because I am driven by the force of a childhood dream which has waited 25 years to be freed.

Parce que jai le tennis et le sport dans le sang : Ma mère a été championne "Junior" du Nord de lAngleterre et a perdu en ¼ de finale à "Junior Wimbledon" avant de choisir de faire dautres études Mon grand-père paternel a été un footballeur de haut niveau au sein des "Chamois niortais" et du club dAngers (ligue nationale, équivalent de la Ligue 1 daujourdhui). Mon arrière grand-père paternel, Maxime Giraud, a créé et présidé le club de foot de Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon, bourg qui ensuite donné son nom au stade de la ville.

Because I have tennis and sport in the blood:
- my mother was junior North of England Champion and lost in the QFs of Junior Wimbledon before choosing to do other studies
- my paternal grandfather was a top-level footballer at the heart of the "Chamois niortais" and of the Angers club (national league, the equivalent of Division 1 today)
- my paternal great-grandfather, Maxime Giraud, founded and presided overthe football club of Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon, a borough which then gave its name to the city's stadium

Parce que jai un potentiel physique étonnant (qui ma permis à plusieurs reprises denchaîner 4 ou 5 matchs sur une même journée, totalisant jusquà 7h30 de tennis intense) et que jai prévu dintensifier mon travail de musculation physique

Because I have astonishing physical potential (which has allowed me many time to play 4 or 5 matches in the same day, totalling up to 7h30 of intensive tennis) and I intend to intensify my strength work

Parce quen moins de 2 ans et demi, jai joué plus de 500 matchs officiels sans la moindre blessure, et que je vais continuer à jouer au moins un tournoi par semaine pour continuer à progresser dans la gestion mentale des matchs

Because in less than 2 and a half years, I've played more than 500 official matches without the slightest injury (he can't really be British then!) and I am going to continue to play at least one tournament per week to continue to progress in the psychological management of matches

Parce que, après avoir pris seulement 80 heures de cours durant 7 mois en 2003-2004 et sans entraîneur par la suite, jai progressé à une vitesse incroyable (voir mon Historique de classement), et que maintenant, je prévois de mentraîner 5 heures par jour avec un entraîneur pour progresser encore plus rapidement

Because after having taken just 80 hours of lessons in 7 months in 2003-2004 and without further training, I progressed at incredible speed (see my ranking history) and now, I intend to train 5 hours per day with a coach to progress even faster

Parce que lors des tournois à létranger, je serai avantagé par ma faculté dadaptation liée à ma maîtrise de plusieurs langues et à la diversité des pays où jai vécu (Guyane, Guadeloupe, Haïti, France, Ecosse, Italie et Belgique - voir ma Biographie détaillée)

Because during overseas tournaments, I will be advantaged by my ease of adapting, linked to my mastery of many languages and the diversity of the countries in which I have lived (Guyana, Guadeloupe, Haiti, France, Scotland, Italy and Belgium - see my detailed biography)

... and a bit more, but I'll stop there.

A mad Frenchman with eccentric English genes ... oh my! wink biggrin

-- Edited by steven at 16:34, 2007-09-29

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Oh my word! What a dude!

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

This guy sounds great! Living the Dream

Thanks for posting the translation Steven.

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Slabbas draw.

Slabba (618) vs Joselin Ouanna (FRA) (398)

Has to be looking at winning these matches to improve his ranking

wolf · Tennis legend

This bleeding Frenchman is insane!

Grundon · Intermediate Club Player

Wow - great story. Certainly wasn't expecting to find this in the thread

Sadly, Guillaume lost 6-1 6-0 in the first qualifying round

johnnylad · Tennis legend

he got a game! He's a

in my book!

Drew · Sep 29, 2007

johnnylad wrote:

he got a game! He's a in my book!

Maybe he is the new 'Dee'

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Rob Dee has nothing in this guy!