GB no.1 Christian Murphy came agonisingly close to ending the year on a massive high by winning the FIP Rise Cuidad de Mijas in Spain.
With partner Alberto Garcia Jimenez, Murphy went down 7-6, 6-2 in the final against a much-fancied pair of Francisco Guerrero Cordero and Jairo Bautista Ortiz.
Only weeks before, Bautista Ortiz had been part of a pairing that defeated the world number 2 so it was clear from the outset that Murphy and Garcia Jiminez would have their work cut out.
In the end the first set proved crucial as the underdogs pushed them all the way but narrowly missed out.
The second set proved more decisive as Guerrero Cordero and Bautista Ortiz found their rhythm and after building an unassailable 5-2 lead they never looked back.
Nonetheless it was a ground-breaking tournament for the highly promising Murphy as they beat several strong pairings en route to the final, the most notable being one featuring Federico Mouriño Proasi, the world no 70 from Argentina.
“We are playing well and training really hard at the moment”, commented Murphy. “To come in the top 2 out of 98 pairs is a great result and we managed some big wins on the way”.
“I’m really looking forward to next year, it’s been a big year for British padel and for me personally with many highlights; the game is growing in popularity both in Europe and back home and the only way is up from here”, he added.
“I’d like to thank my sponsors – Dunlop, Padel Shack, Padelmaniaks and redk, without their support I wouldn’t be able to play in these tournaments”.
Murphy, who recently represented Great Britain at the World Championships in Dubai, has risen from 186 to 170 in the world this year but suggested that, with hard work and full-time training, top 150 in the world and even top 100 is “definitely possible” within the next couple of years.
