The first day of the round of 16 of the A1 Padel Santander Sevilla Master, held at the Palacio de los Deportes San Pablo, did not leave anyone indifferent. The warmth of the Sevillian fans, the intensity on the court and some games full of drama made those in attendance vibrate from the first point. The inaugural duel between Cristóbal García and Joaquim Florensa against the Majorcans Dani Luna and Adrián Marqués was, without a doubt, one of the most exciting matches of the day in the Seville tournament, which is sponsored by ABC de Sevilla.
The public, especially devoted to Cristóbal García, known as Toti, experienced a roller coaster match. The García-Florensa couple was on the brink of the abyss in the first set, where they were 5-1 down. However, their ability to react and the public’s push allowed them to force a tie-break. The comeback was a demonstration of grit and determination that unleashed euphoria in the stands. With morale through the roof, they managed to win that first set, leaving the Mallorcans shaken. But the wear and tear of that epic comeback took its toll on them in the second set. Dani Luna and Adrián Marqués took advantage of the physical and emotional decline of their rivals to win the set with a resounding 6-1leveling the match.
The third set was a real battle, with both couples at the limit of their strength. García and Florensa had two match points that made the public hold their breath, but they were unable to close it out. It was reached again tie-break, where the players, visibly exhausted, had to receive medical attention for cramps, which slowed down the pace of the match. With the atmosphere cool, The Balearic Islands drew strength from weakness to achieve a difficult pass to the quarterfinals at the end, leaving a lesson in resistance and temperance on the track.
The second game of the day did not have as much excitement, but it did make clear the superiority of the Argentines Maximiliano Arce and Franco Dal Biancowho did not give any option to the Spanish-Argentine couple formed by Daniel Martínez and Leonardo Yob. With a solid and seamless game, the Argentines won in two sets (6-4 and 6-2), always controlling the tempo of the match. Their passage to the quarterfinals reinforces their status as favorites to win the title in Seville.
San Pablo, with Coquito Zamora
The highlight of the day came with the third duel, which pitted the very young Coquito Zamora and Mariano Gonzálezone of the most loved couples by Sevillian fans. The Spaniard from Osuna and the Paraguayan from Encarnación faced the experienced Argentines Santiago Rolla and Facundo Lópezwho began dominating the match. In the first set, the Argentines made their experience count, winning 6-3 in a set where the ‘children’ passed fewer balls than usual, a result of nerves and unforced errors. However, Coquito Zamora, encouraged by the standsbegan to show flashes of its quality in the second set, where the Spanish-Paraguayan couple was able to reverse the situation, taking the set 6-2 in front of a dedicated crowd.
With the audience on their feet, the third set promised strong emotions. The ‘children’ came out like a bullet, quickly going 2-0, but The experience of Rolla and López was once again key. They took advantage of a small drop in the performance of Zamora and González to equalize the score and, little by little, tilt the match in their favor. Facundo López, the most consistent player in the match, was decisive for the Argentines to close the match and seal their pass to the next round (6-2).
