The P2000 tournaments often hold their share of surprises. Not just in the main draw, but also right from the qualifying rounds. On Friday in Cabriès, one match in particular caught the attention of many spectators:  Justin Lopez / Florent Di Lelio  face  Steve Noblecourt / Lucas Navarro .

On paper, just another match to secure a place in the main draw. On the court, a condensed version of everything that makes padel so charming – and sometimes so cruel.

A scenario that seemed already written

The first set was extremely close. Each team traded blows until a tie-break, which the pair won 7-6.  Lopez / Di Lelio .

In the second set, the tide seems to have definitively turned. Florent Di Lelio demonstrates his consistency, while Justin Lopez strings together winning shots with remarkable technical skill.  5 / 2, 40 / 0 It's difficult to imagine any other scenario than qualification.

The match appears to be over.

And yet ...

Three points that change everything

An exceptional first defense. Then a second. Then a third.

The game is level again. Opportunities to score are slipping away. The break finally falls to...  Noblecourt / Navarro which come down to  5/3 then  5/4 before gluing back to  5/5 Spectators crowd around the court under the blazing Provençal sun, and applause rings out after every good point.

In just a few minutes, the momentum completely shifted.

What seemed like a simple formality becomes a psychological battle.

When doubt sets in

From that moment on, the face of the match changed completely.

Justin Lopez, who had been technically impressive up to that point, began to lose his focus. Errors multiplied, and frustration set in. He received his first warning after hitting his racket against the glass.

The encounter ultimately turns into a  super tie-break where everything is still possible.

But on the last point, when nothing was yet decided, Justin Lopez chose to deliberately hit the ball out of bounds to end the match, before leaving the playing area by smashing his racket against the fence.

A brutal end to a match that had offered a remarkable spectacle up to that point.

The mind, that invisible partner

Beyond the result, this match perfectly illustrates what makes padel so special.

At a similar level of play, the difference isn't solely based on technical or physical quality. It often comes down to the ability to manage key moments.

Closing out a match just a few points from victory is sometimes much harder than coming back when you have nothing left to lose. A team that regains its confidence takes more risks, defends better, and tries more. Conversely, doubt quickly creeps in for a team that sees victory slipping away.

Padel is a sport where a match can turn around in just a few exchanges.

That's also part of the beauty of padel.

This qualifying match offered no FIP points, no final, and no trophy. Yet, it will undoubtedly have left its mark on the spectators present because it was quite revealing.

Indeed, it reminds us of a truth that all players know:  Until the last ball has been played, nothing is ever over. 

The famous "important points," those where you have to finish, where the hand trembles a little more, where every decision counts, make all the difference between two teams of a similar level.

In Cabriès, this match was a near-perfect demonstration of that. Further proof that, in padel, the arm makes the shots… but it's often the mental game that decides the winner.

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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