AHEAD of GB men’s opening World Championship Group A match against Portugal, The Padel Paper took the time to catch up with four of our women’s stars to get their thoughts on how the Brit Boys will do this week in Dubai.
With only two places available from qualifying at Derby in the ladies’ event, Team GB Ladies suffered the agony of missing out on qualification for Dubai when they lost their final match against Sweden.
But with the men facing a very tough challenge in the ‘group of death, we asked the fab four of Tia Norton, Hansie Ruddick, Abi Tordoff and Libby Fletcher some probing questions about what they need to do in Dubai and their chances of success.
What can GB learn from their previous match against Portugal at the World Championship Qualifiers in Derby last month?
Tia Norton said: “We have to take the advantage from already having played Portugal in Derby, so hopefully the boys will take pointers from that, but Portugal are a very aggressive team and they like to be dominant on court and they go out to annihilate their opposition.
“That said the guys have nothing to lose and they must give it everything but perhaps the pressure is on Portugal as they won in the qualis.”
Hansie Ruddick said: “I didn’t see the match against Portugal as we were playing at the same time so I only saw a few points here and there. It will be interesting to see how John Leach sets out the line-up, as it may well not be the exact same face-off, so I guess he will have analysed from video and You Tube.
“John will have looked at all of their group matches as well as how they line up against us in the play-off semis. Do they go for the same pairings and do they play them in the same position in the team?
“You don’t have to have the pairings in any order so it really is the luck of the draw but I’m sure John will have done his homework.”
Abi Tordoff said: “There are so many positives that the boys can take from the qualis. Some would say that it’s better to go straight into the main draw but my feeling is that to come through qualis gives the boys a really solid foundation going in to the World Champs.
“They earned their place in the draw which is a great feeling and they played some really great matches in Derby and the whole experience would have strengthened the team bond further which is so important this week.
“So the boys are in great shape and mentally ready for the challenge ahead. Yes, they have a tough group but GB are tough and they’re working really well together so let’s see what can be done.”
Libby Fletcher said: “The team will have a level of understanding of the level Portugal will bring to the match, they will also have some idea of the line-ups, tactics and pairs, so John can set the GB team up to be as competitive as they can in each tie.”
How important is the performance as well as the result in tonight’s opening match against Portugal?
TN: “Winning the opening match takes the pressure off the second and third pair but the performance is important in every match and you have to show up and perform to your max no matter if you win or lose and I am sure the boys will all be looking to do just that.”
HR: “Portugal is a very tough start and our group is undoubtedly the most challenging. But I think it’s vital for team spirit that we put in a strong performance and to get things off on a positive front.
“I know the boys have been out for a few days and trained well. Portugal are a tough team but if we put pressure on them you never know how they will react.
“But the better the performances we turn in that can really help with the next match and so on leading up to the Uruguay game. Basically there is nothing to lose and we need to go all out for that win.”
AT: “The boys play Portugal tonight so heat drops off a lot in the evening and that will be a help. But it’s all about their performance and competitive spirit.
“Every match they play is an opportunity and if a player isn’t at his best that day it’s about hustling through as you just don’t know what you’re opponent is thinking or feeling.”
LF: “The performance today is vital for the boys and their confidence going into the next group matches and to set the tone for the team.
“They are in a very tough group however and performing well against Portugal today would really help their team spirit.”
Who will be GB’s star player?
TN: “I don’t think I can pick a star player. As it’s a team event all the guys will be working together and without any one of them it wouldn’t be a team. So they are all there for the same reason and wanting the same outcome, so it is not about any one individual in this respect.”
HR: “Recently the GB pairings have been more mixed up than they used to be but I really liked the pairing of Sam Jones and Christian Murphy in the final match against Germany in the qualis, together they came through a tough situation when the pressure was really on.
“So they are used to pressure, both consistently play on the World Padel Tour, and they are good together. Rich Brooks obviously brings so much experience to the team and is so calm under pressure, so these guys all have a vital role to play this week for Team GB.”
AT: “I think that all the boys are playing really well, in great shape and are 100% up for it. Each player brings different quality and experience to the team, so they all have their parts to play collectively and that is the key.
“But John (Leach) knows all his players so well and will have the learnings from Derby to work with too which is a further positive.”
LF: “Each player in the team will have their role to play both on and off the court however Christian Medina Murphy will be the key player, he is a smart player who is physical and dynamic and has great defensive skills but can also smash aggressively from all areas of the court.”
How important is it for us to qualify for the next World Championships by winning at least one match?
TN: “I think Uruguay is the best possibility in the group but GB would really have to beat Uruguay and Portugal as Spain are a level above and are world champions. The boys played against Spain last year and I remember they did get a few games off them as they went in with the ‘nothing to lose’ spirit and it will have to be the same again.”
HR: “This year was tough to qualify and luckily in the men’s there were three places in the qualifying whereas in the women’s there were only two and we would have gone through to a third v fourth play-off match and might have qualified as well so it’s disappointing from the women’s side point of view we didn’t have that opportunity.
“Back to the boys… it would be nice to have that top eight finish but to pre-qualify would be great as it would be so positive especially with the group being as tough as it is.”
AT: “I think there are negatives and positives to playing the qualis but that experience from Derby could provide the difference in a tight match with the opposition perhaps under-cooked that could be vital.
“But the most important thing is for them to compete for every single point and enjoy the whole experience as a team.”
LF: “The boys will be playing to win all the matches in their group but realistically Uruguay will be an important one to win.
“They are probably slightly weaker than Spain and Portugal but unknown that’s why good performances in all the matches are vital for confidence and belief.”
Can we make the quarter-finals and finish in the top two?
TN: “Of course there is the possibility we can go through the group as anything is possible but our best chance in doing that is by beating Portugal and Uruguay and to achieve that we will need everything to go in our favour.
“What is vital is that we have to fight for every point no matter the score and stay positive and the boys must believe they can do it.”
HR: “It is going to be very difficult but if you look at the last Premier Padel a lot of the big names were out early on, so in theory on paper the No.1 seeds should always win but this weekend Stupa (Franco Stupaczuk) and (Pablo) Lima, who were third seeds beat (Juan) Lebron and (Ale) Galan who were seeded first.
“So we must fight for every ball as it’s not over until the fat lady sings. So let’s go GB!”
AT: “The most important thing is for them to compete for every single point and enjoy the whole experience as a team.
“You don’t get to play against the world’s best every week in a fantastic setting like Dubai. It’s such an amazing experience for them, they have earned their spot in the draw and they have the same opportunities as all the other teams.”
LF: “With two of padel’s powerhouses in their group – in Spain and Portugal – the GB men will find it hard to qualify for the quarter-finals although not impossible, but they need a strong performance today against Portugal to give them a chance of qualifying.”
Watch Great Britain’s first group match against Portugal LIVE here.
