Henri Leconte

See also: Leconte

Henri Leconte , born on July 4th, 1963 with Lillers Pas-de-Calais, is a player of Tennis French and left-handed.

Its principal feats of arms are to have reached the final of the Internationaux of France of Roland-Garros in 1988, to have gained there (with Yannick Noah) the title in Double in 1984, and to have taken part in the victory of France in Coupe Davis in 1991.

Career

Player classified in 1st French series whereas he was still junior, Leconte drew the attention of the world of tennis by gaining the title junior with Roland-Garros in 1980. One then discovers his play of left-handed person offensive (it practices the Service-flight), based on a taking risk quasi-perpetual and very spectacular.

As a professional, it gains its first title in double with the tournament of Bologna (1981) and its first major title into simple with Stockholm in 1982.

In 1984, supported by number 1 French of the time, Yannick Noah, it gains the double with Roland-Garros, it is its first (and single) title of the Grand Slam. Leconte and Noah reach one year later the final of the US Open and are only dominated, after three tie breaks in the first three sets, by the specialists uncontested in the time, the Americans Flach and Seguso, over the score of 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-0. Henri Leconte becomes in 1985 world number 6 in double, which will remain its best classification in this discipline.

Into simple, it enters the signal ten in 1985 thanks to a quarterfinal to Roland-Garros (it loses against Mats Wilander but had embanked with the preceding turn his national rival Yannick Noah in 5 sets). It reaches the same stage of the competition with Wimbledon (beaten by young German Boris Becker after having left Ivan Lendl). It proves on this occasion that it is at ease on all surfaces.

In 1986, Leconte reaches the semi-finals in two tournaments of the Grand Slam, with Roland-Garros (beaten by the revelation of the tournament Mikael Pernfors) and Wimbledon (still beaten by Boris Becker). These performances allow him this year to reach the 5th rank with the Classement ATP, its best classification.

It reaches finally the final of Roland-Garros in 1988. Winner of a beautiful combat in 5 sets against Boris Becker in eighth of finale, then of Chesnokov and Svensson, it resists a set finally against the Swede Mats Wilander before succumbing to the pressure (7-5, 6-2, 6-1) and attracting, by a speech of awkward after-match, the lightnings of the public of Paris. The relative disaffection that it estimates that the public carries to him as from this moment will be completely unobtrusive only in 1991, year of its exploits in Coupe Davis.

Starting from the defeat against Wilander, Leconte carries out a punctuated crossing of the desert of pains Sciatique S and operations of the implying back of the adoptions, more or less “final”, of its career. But after the victory of France in Coupe Davis, it on once again the occasion to make vibrate the public of Paris in 1992 by reaching for the third time of its career the semi-final of Roland-Garros. It is beaten by the Czech Petr Korda, offensive Gaucher like him.

Leconte gains the last major title of its career over the circuit ATP in 1993 with the tournament of Halle. It also gains this year its last title in double, with Indian Wells, with Guy Forget.

It takes its retirement of tennis player in 1996, after having gained nine titles into simple and ten in double.

Leconte cuts Davis from there

Leconte knows its first selection in double with Yannick Noah in 1982. In quarterfinals in Roland-Garros, they beat the Czechoslovakian pair Smid-Slozil. Then it gains its place into simple (with the detriment of Thierry Tulasne) to dispute a first final of Coupe Davis in 1982 with Grenoble, against the the United States of John McEnroe. France is severely beaten 4-1. Leconte loses clearly its simple against Gene Mayer.

At the time of the years which follow, if it climbs with world classification, Leconte particularly will not shine in Coupe Davis except for a victory over Ivan Lendl in Czechoslovakia in 1984. France will be able to make better only semi-finalist in 1983 and 1988.

It will be necessary to await 1991 to see France, taken along by the captain (and sometimes player) Yannick Noah, to reach a new final against the the United States of Pete Sampras (world number 6 at the time) and Andre Agassi (world number 10). Leconte, fallen to the 159e place from classification ATP, is called with the general surprise for this final. After the initial defeat of Guy Forget vis-a-vis Andre Agassi nobody really believes in the chances of the tricolor ones. But this weekend, Leconte is on a cloud, it finds its " panache" and its " génie" and becomes the hero of this final by dominating Pete Sampras in three small sets (6-4 7-5 6-4) then while beating, with Guy Forget, the ultra-favorites Flach - Seguso without trembling (6-1 6-4 4-6 6-2), thus taking its revenge over the lost final of the US Open 1985). France is essential 3-1 on Lyon and gains its first Coupe Davis since that gained by the Mousquetaires in 1932.

On the whole, Leconte played for the team of France during thirteen consecutive seasons, gaining 41 matches and by losing 25.

It also formed part with Thierry Tulasne of the team of France having gained the World TEAM Cup with Dusseldorf in 1986.

Prize list

Titles into simple

Finales into simple

Other titles

  • 1980 Victorious of the Galea Cut (with Thierry Tulasne and Jerome Potter)
  • 1980 Victorious of the tournament juniors to Roland-Garros
  • 1980 Victorious of the Cut Menard
  • 1979 Champion of France juniors

Other outstanding performances of its career

Course in Large Slam

Into simple

On the right of the result, the ultimate adversary

In double

Under the result, the partner; on the right, the ultimate opposing team

Reconversion

Beside his sports activities (he always plays tennis on the circuit Delta Turn, reserved for old glories), Henri Leconte directs a company of events (HL Event).

He took part in Firm Celebrities 2 .

Marital status

Henri Leconte was married with Brigitte Bonnel with which it had a son: Maxime and in 1995 with Marie Sara Bourseiller (first woman toreador Frenchwoman) with which it had a girl: Luna. In 2005, it marries the Florentine ex-mannequin, mother of a child: Jules. Together, it had 1 Ulysses wire and 1 Marylou girl born in 2007. His/her Maxime son took part (in 2007) in the emission Secret Story on TF1.

External bonds

  • Official site of Henri Leconte

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