New ‘Superpibes’ Cabeza and Garcia in history: 35 years in two! Delfi and Gemma, the first title is yours! Triay top 3

Seventeen years for Francisco ‘Curro’ Cabeza, 18 for Diego Garcia. The two Spanish NextGens are the youngest pair ever to win a title on the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour. In a sold-out ‘Presidente Adolfo Suárez’ Palacio de Deportes de la Guía, the masterpiece was done at the end of a thrilling final that saw Cabeza (number 176 in the FIP ranking) and Garcia (222) triumph over the ‘Magicos’ Tolito Aguirre and Gonza Alfonso. The final of the Premier Padel P2 in Gijon had started well for the two new ‘Superpibes’ with a 7-5 win in the first set (and a set point conquered with a marvellous X3 by Garcia), but was complicated after the two Argentinians had brought home the second set with a score of 6-4. In the third, the breakthrough that made the difference came at 5-3, with the final score 7-5 4-6 6-3. “I’m so happy to have lived this week and I thank everyone for that”, Garcia’s emotional words, which were followed by those of “Curro” Cabeza, former world champion in the FIP Juniors World Padel Championships in Asuncion in 2023 and of whom there are videos on the web of when he was enchanting with his talent at the age of 11: “It was a very complicated match but we managed to win it”.

WOMEN If Cabeza has become the youngest player ever to win a Premier Padel title (among women, Claudia Fernandez’s record stands), the women’s title in Gijon went to Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay, a pair that was formed with the clear objective to contend the first position in the FIP ranking currently occupied by Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez. The two Spaniards, already victorious in Riyadh in the first tournament of the year, had started the final with an incredible 6-0, but the strength of Delfi and Gemma (the latter will be number 3 in the ranking tomorrow, overtaking Fernandez herself) was not to give up: having dominated the second set (6-1), the number 2 seed got the decisive break in the ninth game of the third set with an X4 by Delfi. Final score, 0-6 6-1 6-4. “It was not easy to win after losing the first set like that – said Delfi –, but for that I have to congratulate Gemma and our whole team”. “Thank you Gijon, it was a fantastic week – added Triay –. Against Ari and Paula it is always difficult to play: we were good at staying on the court especially in the second set”.

The Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour will return from March 10th to 16th with the P2 in Cancun, Mexico: this tournament will be preceded, also in Mexico, by the FIP Platinum in Puebla.