There are career detours that tell a story better than a list of achievements: at 41,  Arjen Robben  offered himself a first in a  international padel tournament In Westerbork (Netherlands), the former winger of the Dutch national team crossed the  qualifications  of  FIP Bronze  to rise in the  main board . No matter what happens next, the story was already there.

Qualifications won through courage

With  Werner Lootsma , Robben validated his ticket for the main draw after a  third set concluded in a tie-break  facing compatriots  Ralph Boekema / Mark Veldmate . Hot atmosphere and total suspense: according to the organization,  six match points  were dismissed before turning the game around. A familiar locker room scent: the grinta did not disappear with the cleats.

A step too high in the first round

The baptism of fire in the main draw was brutal:  defeat 6/1 6/0  salary.  Thijs Roper / Sten Richters , references of Dutch padel ( n°1 and n°3  of the national ranking). A low score, but logical in view of the experience and benchmarks on the circuit.

It was in this context that the ex-Bayern player nevertheless secured a place in the main draw of an FIP Tour on his first official registration. For the record, the opponents in the qualifying final,  Boekema/Veldmate , nevertheless joined the table in  lucky losers .

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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