The circuit returns to a closed frame in Miami
After Cancún P2, Miami immediately changes the scene. At the Miami Beach Convention Center, reading the game becomes clearer again: no wind, stable light, more constant reference points. Without going into detailed technical analysis, this context is already influencing the opening of the main draw. Pairs capable of serving well, taking the ball early on the return and locking the transition with the bandeja or vibora have a clearer advantage.
The men’s draw features 48 pairs, with the 16 seeds only entering the second round. In these more controlled conditions, Miami reduces the risks and quickly exposes the hierarchy… or the flaws of the moment.
Top of the table already crowded for the favourites
The hot point in the draw is clearly at the top. Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, top seeds and Cancún champions, will start against Agustín Torre / Curro Cabeza or a pair from the qualifying round. But the rest promises to be much tougher: a rematch of their Mexican semifinal against Tolito Aguirre / Alex Arroyo could already be on the cards in the round of 16.
Also in this half are Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger, seeds 4. Their profile fits perfectly with this type of atmosphere: a lot of initiative, arm speed and a real ability to shorten exchanges. In the same sector, Jon Sanz / Coki Nieto and Paquito Navarro / Fran Guerrero add further density. Even before the last four, Miami can offer a string together of matches on a par with the end of the tournament.
We must also add the return of Pablo Cardona, announced in Miami with Javi Leal. Seeded 9, this pair further densifies the top half. In a draw where the slightest misjudged move to the net can be punished by a smash, a short chiquita or an acceleration out of the glass exits, the danger doesn’t only come from the top seeds.
A clearer bottom half, with no boulevard
In the other half of the table, Federico Chingotto and Alejandro Galán seem to enjoy a slightly more breathable route on paper. The titleholders will start against Pincho Fernández / José Luis González or an American wild card, with a theoretical quarterfinal against Javi Garrido / Lucas Bergamini. In media terms, it’s less noisy than the top half. Competitively, however, it doesn’t look like a boulevard.
The Franco Stupaczuk / Mike Yanguas and Momo González / Martín Di Nenno sectors also promise a real test of solidity. In the women’s category, the field looks a little tidier, with Brea / Triay at the top and Josemaría / González at the bottom, but Miami remains a tournament where new associations need to find their feet very quickly. This is perhaps the real theme of this opening event: beyond the spectacle, this Miami P1 will show which pairs already know how to impose their tempo in a more legible, and therefore often more demanding, environment.
To remember:
- In Miami, the circuit returns to an indoor environment that puts precision and returning quality back at the heart of the game.
- The men’s top half features Coello / Tapia, Lebrón / Augsburger, Nieto / Sanz and Navarro / Guerrero.
- Chingotto / Galán inherit a more legible bottom line on paper, without being simple.
- Cardona’s return adds a further factor of uncertainty to the men’s field.
