By RJ Mitchell
Nikhil Mohindra has revealed his delight at winning his final tournament on UK soil before he departs for the Bela Padel Academy in Spain.
The GB international is moving to Alicante to train under Argentina’s former World No.1 Fernando Belasteguin and partnered up with Javi Serrats to beat Francis Langan and Alfonso Patacho 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the HOP Pro Middlesbrough with success in the second set hinging on a golden point.
The victory also rubber-stamped Mohindra’s place in the GB Team for the World Cup qualifiers in Derby at the end of the month.
However as he savoured his triumph the GB international was keen to pay tribute to veteran Spanish partner Serrats, who was also the tournament director and returned to competitive action for the first time this year.
Mohindra said: “It was amazing to play with Javi as he is just so talented and he has amazing racket skills. His mentality and his ability to be confident with every shot and really play it and not lose the point by playing a weak shot is tremendous.
“There is no doubt that playing with someone of Javi’s experience and quality, who has been a UK No.1, is something that can only improve me as a player and I feel there were definitely things I can take forward when I play for the GB team at the World Championship qualifiers in Derby.
“But I also had a big point to prove as both Frankie and Alfonso were in the mix for the GB Team and in this respect it was a big win and one that maybe gave me an edge in the race to be selected.
“This was my last domestic tournament and it was great to get that win as I really want that domestic No.1 slot but there also couldn’t have been a better way to say ‘bon voyage’!
“Also for me a big incentive in going to Alicante to work with Fernando and his team is to come back and win the London Rise next year.
“On the LTA British Rankings I am No.1 but in the world rankings Christian (Murphy) is above me and he is based in Spain and so for me that is the move I need to make to progress my career the way I want.
“It is also a big year in terms of representing Great Britain. I played at the last World Champs where I was undefeated but now we have to qualify again for Qatar later this month and after that and by end of this year I am hoping to be in the top three within the GB team.
“Moving to Alicante to the Bela Academy will, I hope, make the difference when it comes to all of these things.”
With No.2 seeds Langan and Patacho defeating 17-year-old Ethan Bardo and GB Women’s Head Coach Alvaro Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 and Mohindra and Serrats dispatching homegrown Middlesbrough aces Theo Garton and Richard Love 7-5, 6-2 in the semis, the scene was set for a classic final.
With one break per set it was a match that ultimately hinged on a golden point that very much seems to have provided Mohindra a ticket for Derby and for his part the padel ace admitted he is a big fan of the sudden-death shoot-out.
Mohindra explained: “The ability to take advantage of the golden points requires a strong mentality. At deuce in padel it’s called the ‘golden point’ meaning sudden-death, so whoever wins that point wins the game but there is another twist as the receiver gets to pick who returns the serve.
“It came in last year and it was TV-driven. They wanted to put padel on TV but the matches were just too long and in order to fit in with the TV schedule the golden point was introduced.
“For me I think it adds an element of excitement and it puts a lot of emphasis on that single point and shows who the real players are in terms of dealing with the pressure.
“For us to win the match on a golden point and one that was a real tough point, was just so sweet.”
Tournament director Serrats was delighted with the geographical spread of his entry.
“From HOP we want to thank the commitment from the players, coming all the way from the geography of the UK, with 2 pairs coming from Ayrshire (Scotland), players from the North West, Essex, and London.
“It made a good mix of players who usually don’t compete against each other and there were some very interesting matches in the first rounds.
“Finally to thank Middlesbrough Padel Club for their hospitality, and the warmth with which they received the players and hosted the event.”
For anyone interested in joining Middlesborough Padel Club, see here.
