7,000 fans for Chingotto and Navarro Paquito is ‘on fire’: final against Coello and Tapia

Saturday night fever has broken out at the Foro Italico. And the same will happen on Sunday for the final of the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel. The fever rises, the number of spectators rises (7,000 for the evening semifinal, 10,000 for the entire Saturday programme) but so does the volume of ‘Freed from Desire’, which by now is sung with other words at the Foro. ‘Paquito is on fire’, also because in the semifinals Navarro and Federico Chingotto were really ‘on fire’. With 6-1 6-2 to Fernando Belasteguin and Mike Yanguas, Paquito earned his second consecutive final in Rome. Last year, paired with Martin Di Nenno, he lost in three sets to Lebron and Galan. On Sunday, after the women’s final, he will have the chance to make up for it. An extraordinary performance by Chingotto and Navarro, who never gave their opponents a chance to get back into the match. “Amazing” says Paquito about the atmosphere in Rome. “For us to play here is a dream” are the words of the Spaniard, who then also addresses his teammate. “The secret? Put a Chingo in your life’. Put a Chingotto in your life, and everything will be easier.

It was Coello and Tapia who first set the Central on fire, continuing their incredible 2023. The Spaniard and the Argentine, the number four seed in the draw, gave up only five games (6-2 6-3 in one hour and 15 minutes) to the ‘Superpibes’ Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno (number two seed and winners of the first Major of the year, in Doha), who did not manage to come back this time as they had done in the three previous rounds. The tiredness made itself felt, with Di Nenno even taking the court with a bandage on his left thigh. Only five unforced errors in a set for Coello and Tapia (the latter absent last year), who also broke their opponents in the fourth game of the second set, and also maintained a 10/10 lead in break points cancelled, which prevented Stupa and Di Nenno from returning to the match. And at the close, with a smash by Coello, the ovation started for Arturo and Agustin, with signed balls thrown to the many fans present. “We hope to complete the work”, were the words of Coello and Tapia. But they will have to deal with a Paquito on fire.