- World No1 Coello and World No2 Tapia reach 11th consecutive final, where they will come up against familiar foes in Chingotto-Galan – who have lost their past five finals
- Brea Senesi and Gonzalez Fernandez dump World No1 pairing out to set up women’s final with unseeded Ustero Prieto and Alonso de Villa, who shed tears on Centre Court after win
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 10 November 2024: In front of a packed-out, noisy crowd, world padel’s four top-ranked men’s players last night provided a masterclass in the fast-growing racquet sport to successfully negotiate their respective semi-finals and set up a mouthwatering final to be played tonight on Centre Court at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
World No1 Arturo Coello and World No2 Agustin Tapia saw off the challenge of No3 seeds Juan Lebron and Martin Di Nenno to extend their record-breaking winning streak on the Premier Padel Tour to 27 matches. Delivering a series of bombastic smashes, laser-perfect lobs, and reactive net-play throughout the 74-minute tie, Coello-Tapia proved too good as they sealed a 7-5, 6-1 victory to reach their 11th consecutive final and 16th trophy-match of the 2024 Premier Padel season.
You must go as far back as April’s P2 in Sevilla to find a tournament in which the formidable pairing did not reach the final. Since then, they have taken seven titles from 10 tournaments and done so while facing the same two opponents in every final.
It will be those same familiar faces staring back at them over the net in Dubai tonight after World No 3 Alejandro Galan and World No4 Federico Chingotto booked their place in the final with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Franco Stupaczuk and Miguel Yanguas. Galan-Chingotto have an unbroken streak of reaching the final in all 13 tournaments since partnering, yet despite the impressive feat, such is the dominance of Coello-Tapia that they are without a title since June’s P2 in Genoa.
There is no doubt who will start tonight’s match as favourites. While Chingotto conceded after winning his semi-final that he would prefer to avoid Coello-Tapia in the final, when Coello conducted his post-match interview, he said he and Tapia are “very happy to be in another final tomorrow against Ale and Chingo”.
Tapia added: “I am very happy with the work of the team. We know how united we are. This animal [Coello] makes me play well in the important and unimportant points. The truth is that without him it would be very difficult. I think the final match will be very good.”
Chingotto, who helped lead Argentina to the FIP World Championships last week in Qatar, added: “We haven’t been at our best so far this tournament, but I feel that with our team helping us constantly, we have managed to find another gear when necessary,” said Chingotto. “A lot of preparation goes into matches, so we know how to adapt to the conditions, to the opponent, and we always fight for every point.”
Earlier in the day, Alejandra Alonso de Villa broke down in tears after she and Andrea Ustero Prieto secured their spot in the inaugural Dubai women’s final. The Spanish duo have had to do things the hard way this week, facing No5 seeds Jessica Castello Lopez and Alejandra Salazar Bengoechea in the Round of 16, before overcoming fourth-seeded pairing Marta Ortega Gallego and Sofia Araujo in the quarterfinals.
On Saturday, in the first of four matches on Centre Court, the unseeded Ustero-Alonso faced No2 seeds Gemma Triay Pons and Claudia Fernandez Sanchez, dispatching the World No3 and No4 respectively in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. For Alonso, who collapsed in joy when her opponent found the net at set-point, the result was especially poignant as tomorrow will mark the 18-year-old’s first Premier Padel final. It comes after several months battling her way back from injury.
“This is a very special day for me – I will remember it forever,” Alonso told fans on centre court, trying – and failing – to hold back her tears. “It has been tough these past few months, so standing here now, having qualified for my first P1 final, it is very emotional.”
Ustero meanwhile reached the final at the most recent Paris Major alongside Delfi Brea Senesi, yet it is the Argentine world champion who she will now face in the final. Brea Senesi and teammate Beatriz Gonzalez Fernandez – who missed Roland Garros through injury – got the better of World No1 pairing Ariana Sanchez Fallada and Paulo Josemaria Martin 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in an epic 147-minute match that had the packed-out crowd out of their seats.
“It always feels extra special to win these long matches and the fans today were amazing,” said Brea Senesi. “For us, to turn around the match after dropping the second set was very good and I think we are proving we can be [World] No1s too. It’s going to be fun playing against Andrea in the final because we are in the same position: She knows things about me and I know things about her.” The week-long Dubai Premier Padel P1 is taking place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, and is a collaborative effort supported by the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA), the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Sports Council (DSC), Premier Padel, and Gallop Global. Tickets are on sale now at PlatinumList.net priced from Dh60
