A complicated start, then the right adjustments
We’re attacking this 1/2 final of the P1000 at Club VG in a rather unusual context: with Jérôme Peeters, we’re both more used to the right-hand side. Naturally, the first few games are also about getting our bearings, adjusting our movements and dividing up the playing areas. And the start of the match didn’t help: we got a break right from the start, we lacked tempo, and our opponents just played. In these slow conditions, it was impossible to force our way out. We had to understand the match first.
Very quickly, I feel that the real challenge is not to finish points quickly, but to build more. Lobs need to be more precise, returns from the net require more patience, and every low ball has value. Opposite them, Paul-Lou Swaerts and Ethaniel Waterschoot are off to a strong start, with a lot of pressure in their returns and good quality in their areas. For our part, we try to calm the game down, vary the chiquita more, play into the feet, then return to the center to close the angles. At 2-0 against us, I still feel that the match could turn, provided we stay disciplined.
That’s exactly what’s happening. We’re defending better, we’re talking to each other more, and we’re finally willing to play longer exchanges. In a room where the ball doesn’t fly much, every vibora, every deep ball and every clean block counts double. Jérôme is starting to make more of an impact in transitions, especially when he can take the net after a worked ball. As for me, I try above all to keep to the tactics: don’t give away free points, vary between center and parallel, and only promote when the position is really favorable.
A semifinal won by reading the game
For me, the real turning point comes when we stop being subjected to their tempo. Paul-Lou can do a lot of damage as soon as he gets a high ball to accelerate, while Ethaniel brings a lot of control to the game. So our plan became clearer: lob better, close the middle better and don’t give away easy balls. From there, our padel becomes more coherent. We’re no longer trying to overplay, but rather to create uncertainty, to move the ball forward and then back, and to take the net at the right moment.
Jérôme brings exactly what is needed in this type of match: solid volleys to the middle, several winning shots when the ball finally rises, but also finer variations to break the tempo. It’s this mix that allows us to regain the upper hand. For my part, I concentrate on managing the tempo, with the idea of remaining lucid even when the exchanges get longer. It wasn’t the easiest semifinal to play, nor the most spectacular at first sight, but that’s precisely what made it interesting: it was won by reading, adapting and being rigorous.
After a shaky start, we eventually took control of the match and finished in straight sets, with the final 6/2 set rewarding our ability to make adjustments. What I’ll remember about this 1/2 final of the P1000 at Club VG with Jérôme Peeters is not just the qualification for the final, but the way in which it was built: first by accepting to understand the conditions, then by gradually finding the right formula on the track.
For those who want to watch the match in its entirety, the video is available here: 1/2 final of the P1000 at Club VG with Jérôme Peeters.
