Coello-Tapia the kings, Josemaria-Sanchez the queens

Number 1 seed at the beginning of the tournament and champions on Sunday. The destiny for Arturo Coello, Agustin Tapia, Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez was the same: the Rotterdam Premier Padel P1 crowned the first two players in the men’s FIP ranking and the first (tied on points) in the women’s ranking. Nothing to do in the final for Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan in the men’s final, just as there was nothing to do in the women’s final for Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez. Seventh title of the season for Josemaria/Sanchez, eighth for Coello/Tapia.

MEN The second tournament after the August break ended like the first, with Coello and Tapia triumphing in the Netherlands as they had done in Madrid. It ended 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 10 minutes, a match already headed with the double break in the first set. Chingotto and Galan had tried to break back before losing serve again in a set in which Coello made no mistakes. And double break it was in the second set too, with a smash on the glass by Galan. The number 2 seed had two chances to come back but the 5-1 win for Coello and Tapia brought the end of the match forward by a few minutes. “Congratulations to our opponents who make us give our best every time and thanks to our whole team: the work is showing on the court – Coello said –. I dedicate the victory to my father, I had promised him before the match. Thanks also to Agus for the level on the court, but now we want to continue and grow further”. A dedication also for Tapia: “To my grandmother, who is celebrating her birthday today. I’m very happy with the team we are, and it’s nice to share the court with Arturo when he plays like this. It’s been a great week, and now we go to his home”. The next tournament of the Premier Padel circuit will in fact be played in Valladolid.

WOMEN After Madrid, Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez didn’t manage a double, beaten 6-4 in one hour and 51 minutes by Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez. If in the first set a break at the start was decisive, in the second the FIP number 1s were up 4-0, before suffering the comeback of Triay and Fernandez. Paula and Ari, however, again raised the bar in the decisive moment, taking home the trophy. “It was a match with different moments –. admitted Paula -. Claudia and Gemma are impressive players and we knew they could turn it around. If they beat us, it had to be because of their merit and not our own. I think we succeeded, we were able to suffer in some points that were real rallies. I also want to congratulate them, Gemma, Claudia and their whole team for the previous tournament and also for this one, because they are having an incredible season. From our side, I think there is little to reproach, last week we analysed the semifinal we lost and today we managed to win instead. I am super happy and I send a kiss to my family”. “Eight days ago we lost and today was better – Ari added –. We were able to suffer when we needed to: we supported each other, we trusted each other and that was the key to win the match. I think when we are at this level and united as a team, we are really strong and we are showing that. We competed at a very high level, so now it’s time to rest and think about the next challenge”.