GB No.3 Aimee Gibson won her first ever FIP Tour title over the weekend as she and Spanish partner Paula Canivell blitzed to victory in the FIP Promotion EPF1 Cairo in Egypt.
Aimee and Paula’s 6-3, 6-2 victory over top-seeded German pair Denise Hoeffer and Victoria Kurz in Saturday night’s final catapults Aimee to No.188 in the FIP rankings – and the Essex left-hander was delighted with the outcome.
She told The Padel Paper: “I set out goals for this year with the LTA and one of them was to win a FIP event, so the fact I was able to do that so early on in the season has given me a lot of confidence. I feel really happy about it.
“They [Hoeffer and Kurz] are ranked inside the world’s top 130 so we went into it knowing it was going to be a tough match, but also feeling like we had no pressure on us. We did a bit of research and watched their earlier matches.
“It was played in the evening under the lights and it was hot and windy, but the energy between us on court was really high and we were very happy with the straight-sets scoreline.”
Aimee, who turned pro just over a year ago, met Paula at the A2 Padel Pro Academy in Barcelona, the LTA’s training base for its female padel athletes. Last weekend in Cairo was Paula’s first tournament back after a serious knee injury, but the pair clicked instantly. They will team up again at next week’s FIP RISE Dubai and at FIP RISE Rocks Lane in London the following week.
Aimee said: “Unless you’re inside the world’s top 50, it’s hard for any player to find a long-term playing partner who is willing to travel. It’s been great to meet Paula and she is very open to going to a lot of these tournaments. It’s amazing I now have her to play alongside.”
Aimee’s conversion from tennis player and coach to padel began with immediate success last year as she won six tournaments in a row on the British tour (including five LTA Grade One titles). Before Cairo, she had played nine FIP tournaments, reaching quarter-finals in Koksidje, Belgium and Beniganim, Spain.
“Last year was about gaining experience,” she explained. “I played a lot of LTA tournaments, which I still want to do this year, but my main priority is the FIPs. The travelling most weeks can get pretty tough but I’m loving it. Once I’m there, I’m loving every match and gaining a lot of experience.
“Winning in Cairo has motivated me a lot. It’s got me into the top 200 – so my next goal is to get into the top 150 and keep getting as many points as I can in these international tournaments.”
