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.

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Three punto de oros in a row

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.

"Like at home"

“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.

The stats of this half

To follow the last two semi-finals, all the information can be found here.

After 40 years of tennis, Jérôme falls into the pot of padel in 2018. Since then, he thinks about it every morning while shaving… but never shaves pala in hand! Journalist in Alsace, he has no other ambition than to share his passion with you, whether you speak French, Italian, Spanish or English.