In extremely fast playing conditions, Juan Lebron and Ale Galan suffered in the first men's semi-final of the WPT Chile Open. Facing them, José Diestro and Pincho Fernandez gave them a lot of trouble, winning the first set with a score of 6/4.
Faced with a very dangerous Diestro this Saturday, the world numbers 1 had to tighten the game and play their power to regain control and win the second set 6/3. In the third, the favorites were 3/2 down, before going on for three games and breaking on the first punto de oro of the match.
At 5/3, they could not achieve a first match point on a new punto de oro, but had the opportunity to conclude on their service, at 5/4. But there, it was Fernandez and Diestro who were threatening, getting two break points in turn. The first saved, it was a third punto de oro in a row that decided the outcome of the match: and it was with relief that Lebron and Galan saw the opposing ball go and hit the window, after 1h36 of a very fast paced game. Final score 4/6 6/3 6/4.
This is not the first time that the Diestro / Fernandez pair has caused problems for those with whom they train all year round: last July at Roland-Garros, Lebron and Galan had already left a set on the way when Greenweez Paris Premier Padel Major.
“It took us a long time to get used to this track, because it is very hot here”, declared Juan Lebron at the end of this semi-final, adding that in front of a passionate Chilean public, he has “the impression of 'to be at home'.
In the final, Lebron and Galan will be opposed to other players who will feel at home: the Argentines Stupa / Di Nenno or their compatriots Tapia / Coello, who will face each other tonight after the second women's half.
To follow the last two semi-finals, all the information can be found here.