The title won by Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero at the FIP Platinum Lyon had an immediate effect on the Race. In the rankings published on September 28,  Momo González is in 14th place with 2,719 points, Javi Leal is 15th with 2,718 points, and Lucas Campagnolo is 16th with 2,673 points. One point separates Momo from Leal; only 46 points separate the three players. As Rotterdam P2 approaches, each course could change their ranking.

Lyon has revived Leal

Before the Lyon tournament, Leal trailed Momo by 211 points and Campagnolo by 165. His title with Guerrero earned him 300 points, while the two semi-finalists each gained 90. As a result, Leal closed the gap to just one point behind Momo and overtook Campagnolo.

This progression also reflects the difference in situation within his own pair. Guerrero is now  10th in the Race with 3,394 points Leal, meanwhile, remains in contention for 16th place, the last qualifying position for the Barcelona Finals. Both men share the same sporting objective in Rotterdam, but the points awarded are not of equal value to each in their individual race. Qualification is based on each player's Race to Rotterdam, calculated from their 22 best results of the year.

A possible revenge, but a long road ahead.

In Lyon, Leal–Guerrero beat González–Campagnolo in the semi-final  7/5 2/6 6/4 The two pairs find themselves in the same half of the draw in Rotterdam, with no immediate prospect of a rematch. Leal and Guerrero will begin on Wednesday against Goenaga and Collado; Momo and Campagnolo will face Hernández and Martínez. If they advance, Leal and Guerrero could meet Coello and Tapia in the quarterfinals, while Momo and Campagnolo would likely face Di Nenno and Navarro. Both teams would need to reach the semifinals to meet again.

Their Lyon encounter nevertheless provides a tactical benchmark: González and Campagnolo managed to take the second set 6-2 before succumbing in the third. If a rematch takes place, the duel between them will warrant particular attention. Will the Brazilian be able to exert his formidable Bajada technique against Leal's power? And will Guerrero be able to impose his movement and transitions?

A close battle, with no qualification secured.

The close relationship between Momo, Leal, and Campagnolo makes every round crucial, but their place in the Finals is not yet guaranteed. Edu Alonso, the first player outside the top 16, currently has 2,187 points: he remains  486 points behind Campagnolo Rotterdam opens a sequence of three consecutive tournaments, followed by the German P2 and then the Milan P1, during which the gaps can change rapidly.

Leal earned the right to get back in contention in Lyon. In Rotterdam, he, Momo, and Campagnolo will have to prove themselves against different opponents, each on their own path. Their real confrontation, for now, is primarily about the standings.

Antoine Tricolet

I discovered the Padel I stumbled into Spain at a campsite. I was instantly hooked; passionate about padel, I follow international and regional news with the same excitement as the sport itself.

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