ITF

216 Neither of us wanted to be in the position of playing against the other French team. LONDON 2012 MEN'S DOUBLES BRONZE Julien Benneteau Julien Benneteau I do have precise memories of the [bronze medal] match. I do have very precise memories of the morning practice before the match, and I do have very precise memories of the end of the first set: it was very tense, at 5-5 we saved break points on Richard's serve and then there were a couple of crazy points during the tiebreak... But then it's funny, it's as if the whole second set has been erased but the end. Until I serve for the match actually. And I don't remember the match point. At 6-5 in the first set I talked a lot to Richard. But even before the match, during practice, we talked a lot. We did it during the whole tournament actually. There was a sort of natural alchemy. We were carrying each other: there were matches where I wasn't feeling well physically and where he was playing amazingly. Standing on the podium right in the middle of Centre Court was a very powerful moment. But it was also very powerful right after match point: I fell to the ground and Richard ran over and celebrated. It was special for us because right after the Olympics we flew from London to North America. I had my medal in my sports bag during all that time. But then when I was able to go back to France it was fun because all my family and friends wanted to see the medal. It's an item that attracts people. I feel proud, I feel a lot of emotion. To have an Olympic medal at home is something huge that means a lot. I keep my medal in the living room just next to the replica Roland Garros trophy. I hope to be able to own some day the complete collection by adding a small silver punch bowl [the Davis Cup] to it (smiles). I didn't put the medal in a display cabinet because I wanted something discreet, not too ostentatious, but it's well placed. I already showed my medal to my baby boy! The day before the match for the bronze medal, after the semifinal that we had lost against the Bryan brothers, we went back home but Richard and me were not staying at the same house. So basically we were watching Jo and Mika's [Tsonga and Llodra's] semifinal separately on TV and we were texting each other because neither of us wanted to be in the position of playing against the other French team. We didn't want to and neither did all the [French] staff. If it had happened it would have been awful. They were a break down in the third set and then they faced four match points. Richard and me, we were texting and texting, we were in a terrible state. We were under intense stress and we were both alone in our houses because all the staff were courtside. And when Jo and Mika finally won it was a great relief. Not because we were sure from this moment on that we would win the bronze medal, but because at least we wouldn't have to play against them.

• Cover