They weren't even supposed to be there. And yet,  Bastien Blanqué  et  Dylan Guichard  have left their mark on people's minds  Riyadh P1  by simply achieving a performance  HISTORY  facing the world's number 1 players,  Agustín Tapia  et  Arturo Coello .

Despite their defeat 3/6 6/1 6/2, the French can still leave with much more than just a score:  They took a set from the undisputed leaders of world padel , world number 1 for almost three years. A rare feat, all the more remarkable given that they came out of the qualifiers with the status of  lucky losers .

 A crazy first set 

From the outset, Blanqué and Guichard approached the match with confidence. No overplaying, no rushing.  Dylan Guichard  inflicts a tremendous amount of damage through its proactive smash attack, while  Bastien Blanqué  imposes a large volume from the baseline, notably thanks to his backhand and his bajada.

The French are very aggressive at the net, cutting off trajectories and constantly applying pressure. On the other side, Tapia and Coello seem to lack rhythm. There's little intensity, several uncharacteristic errors, and Tapia is clearly off his game. At 4-3, the French break serve, then remain solid on their serve to give themselves the lead.  A thoroughly deserved first set .

 The awakening of the world's number 1 

Losing that set acted as a wake-up call. Tapia and Coello quickly realized they couldn't take this match lightly. The intensity increased, as did their precision. The number ones stepped up the pace, locked down the net, imposed their usual game plan, and gradually stifled the French.

Blanqué and Guichard, understandably, began to push harder, unforced errors piled up, and opportunities became scarce. The last two sets were one-sided.  6 / 1 6 / 2  for the world leaders, who regain total control of the match.

 A defeat that's worth its weight in gold 

Despite the final score, this match will be remembered as  a tremendous performance from French padel The day before, Blanqué and Guichard had already secured a landmark victory against Belluati/Domínguez (two players in the world's top 70). To then take a set from Tapia/Coello is...  a rare feat , carried out under the watchful eyes of  Cristiano Ronaldo present in the stands.

This performance brings back fond memories of French padel, like when Benjamin Tison took a set off Galán/Lebrón in their prime. Above all, it proves that  Blanqué and Guichard can compete at the very highest world level , including against the best.

 Positive aspects and valuable points 

Beyond the symbolism, this meeting brings in  45 FIP points valuable for the rest of the season. But above all, it brings confidence, experience, and certainty:  The French have the level to challenge world-class players .

They leave Riyadh with much more than just a round of 32 appearance:  a benchmark match , an achievement recorded in the recent history of French padel, and promising signs for the rest of the season.

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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