Finalists of the  Major of Italy  a few days ago,  Alejandro Galán  et  Federico Chingotto  are experiencing a much more complicated start to the tournament than expected in Valencia. Pushed to  third set  during their first two matches, the  world number 2  They are progressing without convincing and will have to quickly raise their level of play if they want to contend for the title.

 A start far from their standards 

Since the start of the season,  Galan and Chingotto  distinguished themselves by their consistency. Rarely troubled before the final laps, the men of  Jorge Martínez  have, however, already come close to prosecution twice in  Fonteta .

From the moment they entered the competition,  Mariano Gonzalez  et  Curro Cabeza  made life difficult for them. After winning the first round  6/4  Thanks to their experience, the favorites saw their opponents come back into the game by largely dominating the  tie-breaker  of the second set.

The situation became even more complicated in the decisive set with a  break  A setback was taken early on. It took a show of pride to avoid an early elimination and finally close out the match in three sets.

 Libaak and Chozas made them waver 

But the real warning sign came in  round of XNUMX .

Facing  Tino Libaak  et  Alex Chozas Galán and Chingotto seemed outmatched for a long time. The two Argentinians delivered a near-perfect first set, dominating  6/2  while highlighting the difficulties faced by the No. 2 seed.

Lacking rhythm, less precise than usual and committing several unforced errors, Galán and Chingotto had to rely more on their character than their level of play to get back into the game.

The second set hinged on a few details, won  7/5  by the favorites, before a third act that was also very close. Once again, they found the necessary resources in the important moments to prevail.  6/4  and secure their place in the quarterfinals.

 Rome already seems far away 

The contrast is striking compared to last week in  Rome. Finalists of the  Italian major Galán and Chingotto had displayed a level of play far superior to that seen since their arrival in Valencia.

The passage of the outdoor  Roman at the indoor  Valencian may explain some of these difficulties, but it is probably not enough to justify the many hesitations observed during the first two rounds.

For now, the world's number 2 players are winning, but without displaying the control that usually characterizes them.

 Tello and Arce, a new full-scale test 

The rest of the story doesn't look any easier.  quarter-finals Galán and Chingotto will meet again  Juan Tello  et  Maxi Maple , fallers of  Javi Garrido  et  Lucas Bergamini .

A pair capable of playing without inhibition against the best teams on the circuit and who could take advantage of the lack of confidence shown by the favorites since the beginning of the week.

Even if they qualify, the draw remains particularly tough. In their section of the bracket,  Juan Lebrón  et  Leo Augsburg  continue their journey with much more serenity and could stand in their way in the semi-finals.

Still in contention for the title, Galán and Chingotto have so far managed to survive. But at  Valencia They mostly give the impression of walking on a tightrope.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!