There will be no feat until the very end for  Sanyo Gutiérrez  et  Juanlu esbri . In the semi-final of the  Pretoria P1 , the number 2 seed  Ale Galán / Fede Chingotto  won in two sets,  7 / 5 6 / 4 , at the end of a match that was more closely contested than the score suggests.

Yet, the Spanish-Argentine duo was never outmatched. The statistics perfectly illustrate Galán and Chingotto's mastery in crucial moments.

World number 2s won  57% of the points contested , compared to 43% for their opponents. The difference was mainly made during the return phases:  48% of points won on the opponent's first serve , against only  33%  for Esbri and Gutiérrez. In total, Galán and Chingotto won  47% of the points returned , compared to 32% for their opponents.

The difference in service was also significant. The Spanish team won  67% of points behind their first serve , against  52%  for Esbri and Sanyo. Across all service games, this represents  68% of points earned , against only  53%  for the tournament's surprise pair.

Galán and Chingotto put an end to the dream of Sanyo Gutiérrez and Juanlu Esbri… but the route of the South African surprise commands respect esbri
Galán and Chingotto put an end to the dream

Interestingly, both teams converted their breakaway opportunities perfectly ( 100% success rate ), proof that opportunities were scarce and that every lapse in concentration was immediately punished. Galán and Chingotto also recorded the longest scoring run of the match ( 8 consecutive (compared to 7).

A week that revives Sanyo

Despite this elimination, it's hard not to commend the journey of  Sanyo Gutiérrez  et  Juanlu esbri .

Arriving in South Africa as one of the favorites, they found their footing perfectly in the very fast conditions, which are generally not favored by the Argentinian, who is more comfortable on slower courts where his tactical intelligence shines. Sanyo, however, demonstrated that at 42, he is still capable of dictating the tempo of a match at the highest level, while Esbri perfectly exploited the spaces created by his partner to finish off rallies. Their run to the semi-finals is one of the biggest surprises of this Pretoria P1 tournament.

At 42, Sanyo Gutiérrez responds to criticism: "I want to be the one to decide when to stop."

Towards a new classic… or a huge sensation?

Thanks to this success,  Galan and Chingotto  They join a new final and now await to find out who their opponents will be.

Will we be treated to another clash against the world's number ones?  Arturo Coello / Agustín Tapia , or will we witness a huge surprise with  Javi Leal / Fran Guerrero  (7th seed), who pulled off a resounding upset by eliminating  Juan Lebrón / Leo Augsburger  In the semi-finals? We'll find out in about two hours.

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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