Alix Collombon and Ksenia Sharifova will not be leaving Sweden with the trophy. Finalists at the FIP Silver Höganäs, the Frenchwoman and the Russian were defeated by the Spanish pair Noemí Aguilar and Letizia Maria Manquillo Alarza, at the end of a tournament where reaching the final likely played a significant role in their final outcome. 

The disappointment is undoubtedly significant for the second seed, who seemed to have a great opportunity to add another title to their record. But in a draw that was reshuffled even before the competition began, circumstances didn't necessarily work in their favor.

An unbalanced picture from the start

The withdrawal of the top seed has profoundly altered the complexion of the Swedish tournament. The absence of the main favorites has opened up the top half of the draw and offered a relatively favorable path to certain teams.

The Spanish women  Noemí Aguilar and Letizia Maria Manquillo Alarza  They took full advantage of this situation. Arriving in the final with significant physical reserves, they navigated the later rounds without ever being truly threatened.

Their performance in the semi-final speaks volumes about their level of play over the weekend: a swift victory over the local representatives, swept aside by a resounding score of  6 / 0 6 / 0 .

A semi-final that left its mark

In the other half of the bracket, the path to the final was much more demanding for  Collombon and Sharifova .

The Franco-Russian pair had to fight an intense battle against the 3rd seed, composed of the Spaniard  Teresa Navarro  and Argentina  Virginia Riera A high-level duel that demanded a great deal of physical and mental energy. (6/7 6/3 6/3)

Although this victory allowed them to secure their place in the final, it undoubtedly left its mark when they approached the last match of the tournament.

A frustrating finale, but reasons for hope.

Facing a Spanish team that arrived fresher,  Alix Collombon and Ksenia Sharifova  failed to find the resources needed to turn the match in their favor. (7/6 2/6 6/2)

However, this final confirms the level of performance displayed by the pair in recent weeks. Despite the defeat, their run in Höganäs remains encouraging and demonstrates their ability to regularly compete with the best teams on the FIP circuit.

Now they need to convert these good performances into a title in the upcoming competitions. Because even though the trophy eluded them in Sweden, the signs remain positive for the rest of the season.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

On the same subject

Tags