Federico Chingotto probably didn't play his best match in the Pretoria P1 final. A little less precise in the second and third sets, the Argentinian was primarily targeted by Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero. Yet, when the final came down to it, it was he who ultimately swayed the decisive tiebreak.

Galán and Chingotto ultimately prevailed.  6/2 5/7 7/6 (9-7) , securing their sixth title of the season after saving a match point.

Leal and Guerrero's plan: to focus on Chingotto

After a first set largely dominated by Chingotto and Galán, Leal and Guerrero changed their strategy. The objective was clear: avoid Galán as much as possible and lob Chingotto repeatedly.

A logical choice. By forcing the Argentinian to repeatedly hit the ball over his head, the Spaniards limited Galán's impact and looked to force shorter shots to regain the net. This strategy allowed them to win the second set and push the world number two to a third-set tiebreak.

Three points to turn the tide

À  3-1 Galán smashes the ball into the net, indicating he misjudged it. Galán seems to lose his grip, slamming his racket to the ground in frustration three times in a row. The pair now appears to be in trouble, and Leal/Guerrero immediately continues with their plan: another lob over Chingotto.

But this time, the Argentinian responds with a  Slow and perfectly placed gancho towards the window , which surprises his opponents. On the next point, the same scenario: Chingotto is again called upon to shoot high, but his vebora ends up hitting Guerrero in the body. The score returns to  3-3 .

The Spaniards continued to press him. Chingotto then completely changed his approach with a lobbed volley that pushed Guerrero back and forced him into the net. In three points, the player who had been targeted became the one dictating the tiebreak.

A match point saved without flinching

The most important moment occurs at  7-6 for Leal and Guerrero A match point, and therefore a first title. Premier Padel, for the two Spaniards.

Once again, Chingotto takes charge. His víbora allows him and Galán to ward off danger and return to  7-7 .

On the next point, their opponents again opted to play towards the Argentinian. Chingotto then found a remarkable lob over Leal, who ended up making the error. The eventual winners took the lead before closing out the tiebreak.  9-7 .

Mental strength isn't about being perfect

This sequence perfectly encapsulates Federico Chingotto's mental strength. He didn't dominate the entire match and sometimes struggled against his opponent's tactical plan. But he never backed down from the fight.

Leal and Guerrero had built their comeback by forcing him to play more and more balls. At the decisive moment, Chingotto neither overplayed nor tried to escape this diagonal. He simply found the right shot in every situation: a slow gancho, a body shot, a lobbed volley, then a defensive lob under maximum pressure.

A champion's mentality isn't always about being the best for three sets. Sometimes, it's simply about being the best for the few points that decide the title. Galan himself admitted that he wasn't at his best mentally; he was under a lot of pressure to stay in contention, and his partner, as always, was there to help him get back on track.

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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