Chingotto Galán Asunción P2: a match for survival
The quarterfinals between Alejandro Galán / Federico Chingotto and Juan Tello / Maxi Arce were more arm-wrestling than demonstration. The first set, won 6/4 by Tello and Arce, was a tense affair. The start of the second, with Chingalan leading 0/3, reinforced the impression of a match that could turn point very quickly.
Two tiebreaks, including a stifling last one, separated a qualification from an exit that would have caused quite a stir. Chingotto was sometimes accompanied by the kind of success that counts on a great night, especially on several important points. Galán, for his part, has not always given the impression of being totally free since Brussels. The Spaniard nonetheless retained enough precision to make a difference when it mattered to lock the net.
After the match, Chingotto recapped the state of mind in the strongest possible terms: “Today, all four of us won. The Argentinian also emphasized the energy left by Tello and Arce, before adding: “We hung in there with the last breath we had left”.
Tello / Arce lose, but change their status
It was a cruel loss for Tello and Arce, as they had the match in the bag for a long time. Their plan was clear: add weight, make Chingotto back off, isolate Galán in tense phases, then hit as soon as the ball was promoted. In the exchange, their padel often seemed more direct, sharper, with Tello very present in the aerial game and Arce capable of holding the diagonals.
But against Chingalan, you have to kill the match twice. The Spanish-Argentinian pair resisted without shining continuously, accepting to defend lower and lengthen sequences. In this type of encounter, the control bandeja, the first volley and the management of the returning volley become as important as the smash. And that’s precisely where experience came into its own.
This quarterfinal was also part of a dynamic already evident since Brussels P2, where the psychological dimension had taken center stage. In Asunción, Galán and Chingotto won, but without dispelling all questions about their current level.
Other results: masculine chaos, feminine order
The big upset in the men’s draw came from Edu Alonso / Aimar Goñi, who beat Franco Stupaczuk / Mike Yanguas 6/2 4/6 6/3. Their semifinal against Chingotto / Galán will be one of the great tests of the tournament: a young, up-and-coming pair, up against a favorite team worn down by a huge battle.
In the other half of the draw, Arturo Coello / Agustín Tapia sent out a clear message by dominating Coki Nieto / Jon Sanz 6/1 6/0. They will meet Juan Lebrón / Leo Augsburger, winners of the Rodríguez / De Pascual adventure 6/3 7/6. The qualifiers had made their mark on the tournament by taking out Garrido / Bergamini, proof that the Asunción P2 also served as a laboratory for less expected pairs.
On the women’s side, in stark contrast, the top seeds generally held serve to expectations. Josemaría / González, Triay / Brea, Sánchez / Ustero and Fernández / Araújo all reached the last four. The women’s draw is therefore progressing according to ranking logic, while the men’s draw remains open, nervous and criss-crossed by associations that refuse to wait their turn.
