Javi Leal took to social media the day after the final of the  Pretoria P1 where he came very close to winning the biggest title of his young career alongside  Fran Guerrero Despite the defeat in the final against  Alejandro Galán  et  Federico Chingotto The Andalusian prefers to focus on the immense progress made by his duo throughout this South African week.

A week that changes everything

Leal and Guerrero's run will remain one of the most memorable of the season. After eliminating  Tolito Aguirre  et  Gonzalo Alfonso  In the round of 16, the Spanish pair achieved a resounding feat in the quarterfinals by saving  six match points  face  Juan Lebrón  et  Leo Augsburg .

Buoyed by this stunning victory, they then created another sensation in the semi-final by ending the incredible run of  27 consecutive finals  disputed by  Arturo Coello  et  Agustín Tapia , world number 1.

In the final, Leal and Guerrero came very close to achieving a major upset. Facing Galán and Chingotto, they delivered a very high-level battle before losing in a particularly hard-fought decisive tie-break.

"It hurts to be so close."

A few hours after the final, Javi Leal shared an emotional message:

"See you soon, Pretoria. It hurts to have come so close, but this week has shown us that we're on the right track. I'm very proud of the work of the whole team and to have played our first final together in such a special tournament. Congratulations to Chingotto and Galán on their performance. Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the week. Your affection is felt both on and off the pitch. Now, on to London."

London in sight

Despite the disappointment, this final confirms the duo's potential.  Leal / Guerrero who demonstrated in Pretoria that they could compete with the best pairs on the circuit. The Spaniards will now arrive at  London  with increased confidence and the ambition to confirm that this South African week was not just a flash in the pan, but rather the beginning of a new dynamic.

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.

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