The quarter-final that took place this afternoon at P1 in Madrid between the pairs Lebron/Di Nenno and Navarro/Cardona was marked by a moment of tension caused by a warning from the referee against Paquito Navarro. Did this fact of play influence the outcome of the match? One may wonder…

Recall of facts

Between Juan Lebron, Martin Di Nenno, Pablo Cardona and Paquito Navarro, the match is raging. Lebron/Di Nenno wins the first set by a hair's breadth (7-6) and then leads 5-3. It is then that Navarro and Cardona sound the revolt and raise their level of play. The match takes on another dimension. A few "puntazos" heat up the central court even more, allowing Cardona (who shows his power) and Navarro (who demonstrates his knowledge of the game) to come back to 5 all.

The crowd is in turmoil, and on his serve, Navarro leads 40-0 before Lebron and Di Nenno catch up. 5 games all, 40 all! The tension rises another notch. Navarro and Cardona get a ball to lead 6-5. At the end of a very contested point, Di Nenno hits a winning smash, provoking a gesture of anger from Paquito, who shakes the net.. The referee then intervenes: driving infraction for Paquito, already warned previously, and penalty point for Navarro/Cardona. Advantage to Lebron/Di Nenno!

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Shock on the track

Paquito Navarro initially thinks that the referee has sanctioned him for an inappropriate word, when all he has done is shout at his partner "Martin al Cristal!" (= Martin plays on the glass). He leaves the court, turns to the referee and seems ready to stop playing, judging the decision to be deeply unfair ("What a shame!"). Meanwhile, the crowd takes up Paquito's cause, and as Navarro prepares to defend the break point, the spectators prevent the game from resuming with shouts and whistles. The flashes of mobile phones light up while the four players discuss at the net. Francisco Navarro then asks the crowd to calm down, indicating that he wants to resume play. On the next point, at the end of a monumental rally, "El Lobo" concludes with a par 3... The break is made! The rest is history: Lebron/Di Nenno win 7-5 and qualify for the semi-finals.

It is impossible not to notice how much the referee's decision, at this key moment of the match, influenced its course. He may have only strictly applied the rules, but could he have taken into account Paquito Navarro's gesture of anger, which expressed legitimate frustration? We are in a gray area here. However, it is worth highlighting Navarro's great class: he was the one who insisted that play resume and who warmly congratulated his opponents at the net, even though Lebron seemed sincerely sorry for the turn of events.

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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