Riyadh Season P1, here are the number ones. Title to Lebron-Galan and Josemaria-Sanchez

The Riyadh Season P1 has elected the first winners of the season. And they are the number 1s on the draw, both among women and men. First Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez, then Juan Lebron and Ale Galan: they are the ones to raise the first trophy of the season.

MEN It took three sets to crown Juan Lebron and Ale Galan who, thanks to a 6-7 6-4 6-4 victory over Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, start again in 2024 just as they had left in 2023. From Milan to Riyadh, it is still the Spaniards who triumph. Yet the match had started badly, with Coello and Tapia not conceding a break point for the entire first set, despite not having used five of them. In the tiebreak, it was 5-2 to ‘Arturito’ and Agustin, who were caught up to 5-5 but were able to close thanks also to a missed volley by Lebron. In the second set, however, the situation began to turn upside down: the first break point in the third game, then two more in the fifth, and finally the good ones in the ninth, with two errors by Coello, to which was added another on set point that gave the Riyadh audience another set of impressive padel. The third set also started better for Lebron/Galan, with three break points in the third game, the first of which they immediately took. The Spaniards kept the lead, only risking it in the eighth game, with three break points cancelled, the second with a crazy smash by Galan. And with another smash, after two hours and 7 minutes, Lebron closed out the match. “Winning the first tournament of the season was our goal – Galan said –. After all the troubles of last year, we wanted to get off to a good start”. “I congratulate Arturo and Agustin – added Lebron –. As the tournament went on, we found more and more confidence. Thanks to coach Jorge Martinez, all the staff and the Arabian fans, who hosted us for the first time”.

WOMEN Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez needed only 72 minutes to win their first final of the season. The Spaniards defeated Delfina Brea and Bea Gonzalez (2) 6-3 6-2, at the end of a match that was headed in the direction of the world number 1s from the first games. After the break in the opening game (3-0), Brea/Gonzalez were able to get back into the set in the seventh game, only to concede serve again in the next game. A volley by Josemaria gave the No. 1 further advantage in the third game of the second set, with two errors by Delfi Brea bringing the break lead to two. It was impossible for Brea/Gonzalez to get back into the match, with Josemaria’s X3 ending a final that was also dominated in numbers: 25 winners to 15 and 27 errors against 34. “The preseason was very hard, but we wanted to start the season well – said Paula –. We thank our team that did a great job”. “I’m very happy”, added Ari, “but I have to congratulate with our opponents and especially to Paula, who was the best on the court. Now, however, we look to Doha”.

Not even time to celebrate the two winning pairs, in fact, that from tomorrow the Premier Padel circuit moves to Doha, home of the first Major of the year, the Ooredoo Qatar Major Premier Padel. After the end of the qualifiers, the main draw gets underway tomorrow, with Lebron/Galan and Josemaria/Sanchez immediately looking for a double.