By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: Premier Padel.
Live from SunBet Arena: The first Premier Padel P1 tournament on South African soil has reached the business end and, after six days of world class padel, Pretoria finally witnessed the kind of match that will be spoken about long after the last point is played.
The world’s top seeds remain firmly on course for the title, but Friday belonged to Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero. Their extraordinary victory over Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger was the sort of contest that reminds you why elite sport continues to captivate.
For more than two hours the SunBet Arena crowd barely had a chance to catch its breath.
Lebrón and Augsburger looked to have one foot in the semi finals. Then two. Then almost the entire leg.
Yet Leal and Guerrero simply refused to leave.
Trailing repeatedly and staring defeat in the face, they saved an astonishing seven match points before somehow dragging the contest into one final tie break. Even then the drama refused to end, with Leal and Guerrero eventually sealing an unforgettable 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 victory after edging the deciding breaker 13-11.
It was equal parts courage, belief and desperation.
Some described it as the most riveting match seen on the Premier Padel Tour this season. Others questioned how Lebrón and Augsburger allowed victory to slip away after holding so many opportunities to finish the job. Both arguments carry weight.
What cannot be disputed is the composure shown by Leal and Guerrero when everything seemed lost.
Having reunited after going their separate ways last year, the Spanish pair are beginning to rediscover the chemistry that first marked them out as one of the sport’s most exciting partnerships. Pretoria has become their breakthrough week, and now they stand one match away from a place in Sunday’s final.
Standing in their way are Alejandro Galán and Federico Chingotto.
The third seeds survived a quarter final that demanded every bit of their experience before overcoming Juan Tello and Martín Arce 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Having comfortably controlled the opening set, Galán and Chingotto suddenly found themselves on the back foot as Tello and Arce produced some breathtaking attacking padel to level the contest.
The response from the favourites was exactly what separates champions from challengers. They steadied themselves, regained control of the rallies and never allowed the deciding set to become another shootout.
Earlier in the day, José Antonio Diestro Esbrí and Carlos Gutiérrez barely broke sweat as they dismantled Alex Ruiz and Javier García 6-0, 6-3 to book the other semi final.
They now face the biggest challenge in world padel.
World number ones Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia were far from their brilliant best against Álex Arroyo and Javier Jiménez Casas, but even below their highest level they still found a way through. After surviving a tight opening set, they pulled away to claim a 7-6, 6-2 victory that rarely suggested they had moved beyond second gear.
Speaking to Fullview South Africa afterwards, Coello admitted the conditions had tested the world’s top ranked pair. “The match was tough in the beginning. The court is difficult and the ball moves very, very fast. It took us time to control the ball and understand the conditions, but as the match went on our level improved a lot.”
That is perhaps the most ominous sign for the rest of the field. Coello and Tapia are still adjusting to Pretoria’s quick courts and altitude, yet they remain unbeaten and continue to look every bit the team to beat.
The women’s draw has also produced a fascinating final four.
Fourth seeds Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo continued their remarkable first tournament together with a polished 6-1, 6-4 victory over Marta Barrera and Jana Montes. At just 20 and 18 years of age, the young Spaniards have settled into their new partnership with remarkable ease and now face second seeds Bea González and Paula Josemaría in what promises to be a fascinating contest.
The other semi final pits top seeds Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea against experienced campaigners Ale Salazar and Aranza Osoro.
By Saturday evening Pretoria will know its finalists.
Whether anyone can stop Coello and Tapia is another question entirely.
After surviving their toughest examination so far, the world number ones appear to be gathering momentum at exactly the right time. Yet if Friday proved anything, it is that in padel, no lead is ever truly safe until the final point has been won.