The quarter-finals of the Paris Major concluded with a very special match between Mike Yanguas / Coki Nieto and the pair Javi Ruiz / Gonzalo RubioThe favorites secured their place in the semi-finals by winning in two straight sets: 6 / 0 6 / 4After the match, the two Spaniards returned to this duel marked by two very different faces between the first and second sets.

Mike Yanguas: “Every match is a new final”

Mike, it was a bit of a special game, especially in the second set. How do you analyze it?
I think the first set reflected the match well. We played very well, they played a little less well. But the second set was a real match, much more complete, with many rallies and decided by details. They're a good team, especially outdoors. They train all their lives outside, and it shows.

Ruiz and Rubio played a lot on Coki. Do you think that was a mistake?
You'd have to ask them that. I don't think it was a mistake. They tried to find solutions to overwhelm us. But Coki handled all the situations presented by Gonzalo and Javi perfectly. He played a very complete match.

How did you feel on this track in Paris, compared to the one in Madrid?
I preferred it here. It was a slow track, very difficult to move the ball forward. At first, I missed a lot, but I adapted. In the end, I found a good feeling.

Every game is a final. Game by game, as Coki always says. Every encounter is an opportunity to improve. We're doing very well, we're really playing as a team. I hope we can win tomorrow, but if we keep going like this, we have a lot of opportunities.

Yanguas and Nieto after their quarterfinal victory: “Every match is a final”
Credit Premier Padel

Coki Nieto: “The first set was perfect, the second was more balanced”

Coki, congratulations on this victory. It felt like we were watching two matches in one...
Yes, I think the first set was perfect for us. They weren't quite in the game yet. Yesterday, they had a very tough match and I think they weren't in the rhythm. In the second set, they raised their game and we didn't. It was much closer, as a match against Javi and Gonzalo should be, who are very strong opponents. We got a break and managed to hold on.

The second set was also a tactical choice: they played on you a lot.
Yes, maybe Javi tried to take more risks with me. But I'm used to that, it's not a problem. I think we defended well.

Does the difference between playing with the roof open or closed change much?
Yes, today was different. They opened the roof and it was windy. The last few days, we had been playing with the roof closed because of the rain. It had been a long time since I had played outside, so it was a bit difficult to adjust at first. But then I felt better.

The audience seemed very involved, sometimes even excited...
Yes, there was a great atmosphere. I think the spectators really enjoyed the match; there were many great points and highlights. The crowd participated and gave it energy.

CP: Premier Padel

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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