BY ALAN THATCHER
The final of the first edition of the Greenweez Paris Premier Padel Major will be a blockbuster showdown between Spain and Argentina.
The all-Spanish pairing of Alejandro Galan and Juan Lebron will compete against Argentina’s Federico Chingotto and Juan Tello in temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees at the Stade Roland-Garros. The scheduling has proved to be fortunate, with Paris temperatures expected to reach 39 degres on Monday and 40 on Tuesday.
The top seeds Galan and Lebron certainly turned up the heat in the semi-finals as they outclassed the No.3 seeds, Pablo Lima (Brazil) and Franco Stupaczuk (Argentina), winning the match 6-1, 6-0 in just 40 minutes.
In the second semi-final, No.4 seeds Chingotto and Tello upset the form book as they defeated No.2 seeds Martin Di Nenno (Argentina) and Francisco Navarro (Spain) in straights sets 7-6, 6-3. The first set was close but Chingotto and Tello took control in the second to reach the final.
Sunday’s final will be one of the most important matches in padel history. As well as the splendour of the Stade Roland-Garros venue bringing an added touch of glamour to the occasion, the final will be broadcast to more than 100 countries as part of Premier Padel’s ambitious plans to elevate the status of the sport in commercial terms alongside a major global court-building programme.
Fittingly, the next two Premier Padel tournaments take place in Madrid and the Argentine city of Mendoza, back to back in August. The Madrid event will be held at the WiZink Center from August 1-6, with players quickly packing their bags to cross the Atlantic to compete in the Aconcagua Arena in Mendoza from August 8-14.
Mendoza is the fourth largest city in Argentina with nearly 1.5 million inhabitants. The Aconcagua Arena is a modern indoor stadium, constructed in 2018 at the foot of the Andes mountain range, and has a capacity of 8,500 spectators.
The Premier Padel Major Series is gaining momentum, with the first event in Doha followed by Rome and now Paris. After Spain and Argentina, the Sonoma Club in Monterrey takes the series to Mexico from November 28 to December 4.
Premier Padel report that they have five more locations to be confirmed in the near future, thus completing the 10 tournaments planned for the circuit this season.
ORDER OF PLAY – Sunday 17th July
The Super Sunday schedule begins with an exhibition challenge featuring two top French teams, with Cyril Hanoune and Benjamin Tison playing Arnaud Clement and former Arsenal footballer Sylvain Wiltord at 1pm.
The final begins at 3pm.
Additional reporting: Thanks to Albert Rimbau and Luis Lazarich.
Pictures courtesy of Premier Padel.
Official Tournament website
