Believe it or not, to date there has never been a P1000 (and even less a P2000) organized in southern Alsace. While waiting for this day so desired by the players of padel, there was a very high level P500 on December 3 and 4 in the Haut-Rhin (*).

This took place in Saint-Louis, on the border with the Swiss city of Basel. Seeded n°3, the Mulhousiens Teri Groll (155th French) and Diego Garcia (224th) were not the favorites on paper, even if the ranking of these too rare players does not reflect their real level of play. As proof, last year, Teri Groll had been quarter-finalist of the French championships, after a memorable “perf” in 1/8th!

But this Sunday, Groll and Garcia complicated the task by each playing an interclub tennis match at 9 a.m., before coming to chain three doubles of padel.

A hitter clocked at 254 km/h in tennis

Another obstacle, they were opposed from the semi-finals to their great Alsatian rivals: the Strasbourg residents Christophe Henry (46th Frenchman at 47 years old) and Albano Olivetti (equated 300th, and 66th best tennis player in the world in doubles). The latter is particularly known for having been clocked at 254 km/h on a serve in tennis.

The final was played in front of spectators of all ages

But on Sunday, Groll and Garcia, in a room 9 meters high facilitating lobs, were able to muzzle the overpowered smashes of the giant Olivetti (2,03 m), less aerial than usual. In a spectacular and very fast match, the Mulhousiens multiplied their reflex blocks and laser volleys to win 6-3, 6-2.

In the other part of the table, the seeded 1 Tiphaine Holderbach (138th French) and Anthony Kohlmann (140th) had a difficult quarter-final from the start. Opposed to the former Swiss No. 6 Ante Palesko, who came from Basel, and the Venezuelan Oscar Gutierrez, the Strasbourg residents were mistreated in the first set, won in extremis 7-6. They were able to face up and get used to Palesko's diabolical drop shots to conclude the second 6-3 and open the door to the semi-final. The latter, less tough than the quarter, was concluded 6-3, 6-4 against Charles Alexandre (175th) and the former professional footballer Steed Malbranque (231e).

Lex football pro Steed Malbranque on the left facing Albano Olivetti's 203 m which has become 406 m with the reflection

Cries of joy and tactical battle

Third double of the day for both teams, the final began with the French team leading 1-0 to Poland, a match followed on big screens by many fans of the Five / 4Padel of Saint Louis. The cries of joy uttered at each French goal did not distract the four players, who fought a great tactical battle, calling more on strategy than the gunnery fight in the first half. In this less explosive game, Groll and Garcia had to draw on their physical resources and compose one with a stiff back, the other with a sore buttocks to win 7-6, 6-3, while the Blues came to conclude 3-1 and qualify for the quarters of the World Cup!

While waiting for the P1000, the next local tournament will be… a P100, on December 17: despite a zero less than at P1000, the level is not zero and continues to progress in Alsace.

(*) Contrary to what about three out of four TV and radio journalists say, the Haut-Rhin is at the “bottom” of Alsace, while the Bas-Rhin and its capital Strasbourg are at the “top”. Counter-intuitive but logical: the Rhine flows from south to north…

[Head photo credit: Vincent Voegtlin]

The 10 best teams in the final ranking of this P500

After 40 years of tennis, Jérôme falls into the pot of padel in 2018. Since then, he thinks about it every morning while shaving… but never shaves pala in hand! Journalist in Alsace, he has no other ambition than to share his passion with you, whether you speak French, Italian, Spanish or English.

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