R1: Auguste clinches the 5th 11/9 against coming and up Seif

Auguste : I’m starting to get white hairs too, playing matches like this at every tournament.

It’s starting to make my hair go white. He’s very strong. I’d seen him play, across several matches, and he really has this ability to raise his level when he plays better players.

I remember last year, I saw him play Yow, and he dropped off in pace at the end, but the start of the match was impressive. I also knew I wasn’t in Olympic form today, so I knew I’d have a big battle on my hands if I wanted to win, and that’s exactly what happened.

Honestly, I win 11-9 in the fifth, and I can’t even say I played badly. I played a good match, at a good level. He’s already a tough customer at 18.

That’s what I told myself at the end of the match: “Damn… he’s going to beat you on experience, even though he’s 18.” That’s where I found a little boost to finish the match. I told myself, “Come on, remember when you were 18, you lost these matches. Now it’s your turn to win them.”

And that’s really what happened. So I’m happy today.