One presence did not go unnoticed during the entry of... Alix Collombon  et  Ksenia Sharifova  au  Premier Padel Malaga P1 On the bench of the Franco-Russian pair was  Benjamin Tison , former French number 1 now fully committed to his role as coach.

Since retiring from his professional career, Tison has developed a taste for coaching and guides players in their development at the My Center Academy. This time, he traveled to Andalusia to closely follow Collombon and Sharifova.

The timing raises questions.

This appearance comes just days after the announcement of the separation between  Alix Collombon and Juan Alday .

The Spaniard had been the Frenchwoman's main coach since her arrival in Barcelona. For nine years, he accompanied her in her progression and up to her best level on the international circuit.

Seeing Benjamin Tison take over as manager immediately after the end of this long collaboration inevitably raises questions. Is this simply a temporary arrangement in Málaga, while Collombon works on his next project? Or are the two Frenchmen considering a more regular partnership?

Nothing has been announced yet.

A successful first

On the field, this first match with Tison on the bench went perfectly.

Collombon and Sharifova dominated the Spanish wild card  Carmen Castillon / Lorena Vano ,  6 / 0 6 / 2 A controlled start, with a Franco-Russian pair who were more aggressive, more tactically precise, and never really troubled.

A logical success, but always good to have before a challenge of a completely different dimension.

A real test against the 4th seed

In the next round, Collombon and Sharifova will face each other again.  Claudia Fernández and Sofía Araújo , seeded 4.

The Frenchwoman and the Russian will be clear underdogs against two top-ranked players. But the circumstances could offer a small advantage, as Fernández and Araújo are playing their last tournament together before their split.

This round of 16 match will also allow us to observe the impact of  Benjamin Tison  in a match where tactical choices and managing periods of weakness will be more important.

It remains to be seen whether his presence in Málaga will remain a  one shot  or will mark the beginning of a new project around Alix Collombon.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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