It was supposed to be a golden tournament, almost a boulevard towards the title after the early elimination of the world number ones and the absence of the duo Triay/Brea. But at the end of a semi-final at One Way, Bea Gonzalez and Claudia Fernandez have left the Bordeaux P2 through the small door, beaten sharply 6 / 3 6 / 2 by Carmen Goenaga and Bea Caldera.

The pair world number 3, although the favorite on paper, never really found its rhythm or its intensity. Very quickly, the frustration has settled in. Bea Gonzalez, so impressive above the head since the start of the season, has multiplied the unusual faults from the first games. Missed volleys, poorly timed smashes and shortened rallies betrayed a lack of lucidity and confidence that we don't often see in him.

For her part, Claudia Fernandez appeared to be particularly struggling with her movement. Less explosive than usual, often late in her attacks to the net, the young Spaniard seemed far from her best level.

The physical aspect in question

The physical glitches quickly transformed this match into nightmare. Claudia Fernandez first requested the physiotherapist at the start of the second round, complaining of a foot painUpon her return to the court, she decided to stay at the back of the court more often, leaving her partner exposed on certain volleys and losing the thread of the match a little more.

But the bad luck didn't stop there. Bea Gonzalez, already embarrassed several times by her right wrist, experienced a new alert after a unfortunate slip off the track. Hit on landing, she tried to continue without really managing to hide her pain.

Bea Gonzalez P2 waterfall in Bordeaux

This catastrophic scenario put a premature end to what seemed like a dream opportunity : a second victory in P2 this season, a table widely cleared and the possibility of scoring even more valuable points in the standings.

Get up quickly

This final defeat recalls how much the physics counts in such a busy season. For Gonzalez and Fernandez, the priority now is to heal these wounds and to find some mental freshness. Competition is increasingly fierce on the circuit, and in recent weeks, many pairs have shown that they can shake up theestablished order.

If they want to embody their new status of contenders for the top, Bea and Claudia will have to return to 100% to face not only the world's greatest pairs, but also those who, like Caldera and Goenaga, take advantage of the slightest opportunity to create a surprise.

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