A scare in the second set, then a dominant performance in the deciding set. Facing Momo González and Javi Campagnolo in the Bordeaux quarter-finals Premier Padel P2, Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello had to raise their game to secure their place in the semi-finals. After the match, the world number ones reflected on adapting to the playing conditions in Bordeaux, very different from those in Valladolid, their ability to improve throughout a tournament, and Tapia's incredible "Spider-Man" defense. Interview. 

“We are more serious”

 Padel Magazine You dominated the first set perfectly, but the second was much more complicated. It often seems like you get stronger as a tournament progresses. Is that something you intentionally do? 

 Agustín Tapia: 

At the beginning of the year, I would probably have answered yes, because we sometimes took a little while to find our rhythm.

But today, I think we approach each match with much more seriousness. We try to consider each game as if it were a final.

Obviously, the level you show in the first round can't be exactly the same as in a final. As the matches progress, you learn about the track, the conditions, and gradually rediscover your best form.

Today, the second set became more complicated.

We did not approach it with the same intensity as the first one.

On the other side, they have raised their level considerably.

On such a slow track, it is much more difficult to finish rallies quickly, which suited them perfectly.

They deserve all the credit for this second set.

However, in the third set, we managed to reconnect immediately and I think we produced a very good game of padel.

Tapia/Coello: "Bordeaux is almost the opposite of Valladolid"

 "A great player must know how to win everywhere." 

 The conditions in Bordeaux are completely different from those in Valladolid. Ultimately, which type of track do you prefer? 

 Arthur Coello: 

I actually think it's a good thing that there are different types of conditions.

In my opinion, a great player is not defined solely by their ability to perform on a single surface.

You have to be able to be competitive everywhere.

Today we faced a pair that becomes particularly dangerous in these types of conditions.

The track is slower, the balls slide differently, and this makes their game even more effective.

Momo González and Javi Campagnolo defend extremely well.

Under these conditions, they become very difficult to dominate.

We tried to impose our game despite everything.

Tapia/Coello: "Bordeaux is almost the opposite of Valladolid"

 Was the adjustment difficult after Valladolid? 

Yes.

We only arrived in Bordeaux on Wednesday.

We had very little time to train.

And the difference between Valladolid and Bordeaux is enormous.

But that's also part of the circuit.

Day after day, match after match, we adapt.

Today, I am especially proud of our reaction in the third set.

It gives us a lot of confidence before the semi-finals.

Tapia/Coello: "Bordeaux is almost the opposite of Valladolid"

 "What matters is saving the point." 

 Agustín, everyone's still talking about your "Spider-Man" defense. How did you come up with that inspiration? 

 Agustín Tapia: 

Many ideas come through my head during a match.

But for me, the most important thing is still to save the point.

I want to run over all the balls.

I want to fight on every single one of them.

There's no point in attempting a spectacular move if the point is lost afterwards.

In the end, all points are worth exactly the same.

My goal is simply to give everything so that the exchange swings in our favor.

 "Bordeaux is almost the opposite of Valladolid." 

 Do these slower conditions make padel more enjoyable to play? 

 Agustín Tapia: 

I would say that the ideal lies somewhere in between.

We have gone from one extreme to the other.

In Valladolid, everything was moving extremely fast.

Here, the track is much slower.

Personally, I think a happy medium would be perfect.

But that's precisely what makes the circuit so rich: each tournament forces us to adapt.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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