Banco de Chile Santiago Premier Padel P1: Coello-Tapia’s fifth time, Triay and Fernandez’s first

Five times Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia and a splendid ‘first’, that of Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez. The Banco de Chile Santiago Premier Padel P1 elected its kings and queens. In the men’s draw, a week after the defeat in Mar del Plata, the number 1 seed returned to lift the trophy thanks to a 6-0 4-6 6-4 victory over Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan (2); in the women’s draw, on the other hand, it was the number 3 seed who celebrated after losing three finals, thanks to a 6-1 6-4 victory over Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno (8).

MEN

Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia’s fifth title in 2024 (before Santiago came those of Doha, Acapulco, Puerto Cabello and Asunción) allows the Argentine to return to number 2 in the FIP ranking, overtaking one of the two players beaten at the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Ale Galan. A victory, that of ‘Arturito’ and ’Agu’, built on a first set dominated 6-0 in 22 minutes, with 20 winning shots against 5. Much more balanced was the second set, in which the only break was the 6-4 that allowed Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan to take the match to the third. The decisive break points in the final set came in the third game: Coello and Tapia converted them, but did not exploit the double break points in the fifth game. But all it took was one break, with Tapia closing on his knees after a smash. “There was no better way to end these weeks in South America – admitted Tapia –. It’s an incredible emotion to come to Chile, which is a special country for me. I have a ‘beast’ beside me, thanks to Martin Canali and the team for the work we do every day. Congratulations to the other ‘animals’ Fede and Ale, they are tough opponents, you have to beat them many times in the same match. Throughout the year it will be a battle”. “It’s not easy to resume so many emotions in a few words – Coello added –. My goal is to improve day after day, match after match, also because our opponents hold a huge level. When I saw them against Stupaczuk and Di Nenno, I wondered in bed how we would beat them. But very good was also Agustin, to mentally solve what we went through in the second set”.

WOMEN

After a first service game held to nil by both pairs, the first break came in the fourth game, with Triay/Fernandez going up 3-1 and then 5-1 with a double break, before closing out a set of 15 unforced errors by Sainz/Llaguno. The number 8 seeds, however, didn’t give up in the second set, reaching a break at 4-2 that seemed to give them hope of taking the match to the third set. The greater quality of Triay and Fernandez, however, led to an immediate counterbreak and another stretch at 4-5, with Triay closing with an X3 before embracing her young partner and crying tears of joy. “Thanks to the Chilean fans for coming to follow us again today – the words of Gemma, mvp of the match and who had already won a Premier Padel title in Rome in 2023 with Marta Ortega –. It’s incredible to play with these people. From the first day we trained together, I thought that we had an understanding with Claudia and that the results would come. There were obviously expectations and pressure, but we overcame the difficulties and managed to win, finally”. Claudia was in tears: “We worked hard to get to this trophy, which I dedicate to my family”. A thousand points in the FIP ranking that mean, for the player born in 2006, to enter into the Top 10 (she will be number 9), with Gemma Triay instead skipping Delfi Brea and Bea Gonzalez and returning to number 3.

Premier Padel now will come back to Europe, with two events in June: the Betclic Bordeaux Premier Padel P2 (10-16) and the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel (17-23).