What a semi-final! For over two hours,  Paula Josemaría  et  Bea González The world's number two teams had to dig deep to turn things around.  Andrea Ustero  et  Ari Sánchez  at the end of a huge battle:  2/6 7/5 6/4 .

An exceptionally high-level match, intense from start to finish, where the four players waged a veritable war on the court. But once again, in the crucial moments, it was Josemaría and González who demonstrated their mental fortitude.

 Ustero and Sánchez completely dominated the first set 

The start of the match is clearly in favor of the world's number 3 players.

On the other side, Paula Josemaría and Bea González missed their start: little intensity, imprecise tactical choices and a lot of difficulty in establishing their game.

Andrea Ustero, for her part, had a monstrous start to the match. Smashes, volleys, defense… the young Spaniard was everywhere and made a huge difference. Alongside her, Ari Sánchez was also very solid, particularly with her rulo (a type of shot) and in managing important points.

Result: two break points earned, two converted. And above all, a huge dominance in winning points:  18 against only 6  for Josemaría and González.

The first set is a demonstration:  6/2 .

 The turning point of the match in the second set 

With their backs against the wall, Josemaría and González completely changed their attitude in the second set.

Both players significantly increased the intensity of their shots and adjusted their tactical plan. The match then became a real battle where every game was hard-fought.

The four players are performing at an enormous level with very few mistakes and a great deal of intensity in the exchanges.

But in this kind of match, the details matter enormously.

Josemaría and González only get two break points in the entire set… converting one, at the best moment, to take the lead at the end of the set and snatch the set:  7/5 .

A second set of a very high standard.

 A mental battle to the very end 

The third set continued in the same vein: a huge mental battle between the two teams.

But as the games progressed, Andrea Ustero seemed to tire slightly after a tremendous start to the match. Despite this, the world number 3s continued to fight for every point.

À  5/4 Josemaría and González finally find the opening and make the decisive break to finish:  6/4 .

The celebration by the world number two players spoke volumes about the importance of this victory. Given the way the game unfolded and the level of play on display, this success felt almost like a title win.

 A sixth consecutive final for Josemaría and González 

With this victory, Paula Josemaría and Bea González have reached a sixth consecutive final and will now have the opportunity to go for a fifth consecutive title.

They are now waiting for their opponents:

  • either the usual pair  Triay / Brea 
  • or,  Fernández / Araújo who will have to create an upset to reach the final.

 Despite everything, there's a lot of positive to say about Ustero and Sánchez. 

Even though the frustration must be immense, this semi-final confirms that the pair  Ustero / Sánchez  clearly moving forward again after a few slightly more complicated weeks.

Since Gijon P2, they had been chasing another final and this time they came very close.

But against a Josemaría and González side brimming with confidence, it still wasn't enough. Nevertheless, the level of play displayed in this semi-final offers a great deal of positive momentum 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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