We told you about it recently : the third stage of the Pro Padel League (PPL) was won on August 25 in San Diego by the Las Vegas Smash, led by Marta Ortega and Pablo Cardona. After the victories of the Miami Padel Club and Los Angeles Beat in the previous stages, it is now the Nevada team that has secured its ticket to the PPL Cup in November, which will bring together the 8 best teams in this XXL competition.

Unpublished pairs

Once again, the event allowed the discovery of new pairs, such as Chingotto/Campagnolo in the men's or Osoro/Triay in the women's. But one of the main attractions of this competition is the presence of the mixed doubles. Positioned in the third and last rotation, this mixed becomes, in the event of a tie, the decisive match of the encounter (played in a single set).

In San Diego, he played a key role from the first day, when the pair Alejandra Salazar and Daniel Gutiérrez (Cancun Waves) beat Virginia Riera and Lucas Campagnolo (NY Atlantics) after an intense set (7-5). The mixed doubles also captured all the attention in the final stages. Thus, the match for third place saw the victory of the pair Salazar/Zapata (Cancun Waves) against Osoro/Di Nenno (Flowrida Goats) with a score of 6-4.

Las Vegas Smash PPL 2024 Team

A role model? Not necessarily…

This emphasis on mixed media brings a stimulating renewal, as demonstrated by the semi-final between the pairs Chingotto/Riera and Lima/Triay. Is this model destined to spread to official competitions? This is a question that deserves to be asked. This is what was outlined, for example, in France from the first edition of the National Padel Cup, but which raises several questions when placed in the context of professional matches.

The main argument against is the significant difference in power between men and women. Several players on the circuit, such as Sanyo Gutiérrez, have already highlighted this point. How could a mixed team compete against hitters of the caliber of Alejandro Galán or Arturo Coello? The speed of the balls, as well as the proximity of the 4 players on a 20x10 meter court, seem to disadvantage the women in these confrontations. In addition, the quality of the lobs is crucial: any average lob is immediately punished by a winning smash for the men, either by a par 3 or a par 4.

That said, mixed doubles offers great opportunities in the amateur setting, where some women compete without any problem with their male counterparts. In France, there are also many mixed competitions which allow you to play a tactically different and, therefore, enriching game!

Frederic Theulé

Not a day goes by without a line… of padel court! For a few years now, Frédéric has decided to devote himself to his lifelong passion: the little yellow ball and its merciless world. Addict, did you say addict?

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