If you, the reader, are a fan and follower of paddle tennis, I ask you not to read me, to search the Internet for the men’s final of the Vigo Open, put it on your screen and have fun with this meeting, possibly the best of the season, and, of those that this chronicler remembers, one of the most emotional ever with Lebrón and Galán, who returned after several weeks absent due to injury and who entered the cage as number one, and Tapia and Coello, undefeated in the WPT of the season, a new couple with six consecutive tournaments won, and that they appeared as challengers to come out as the new couple that reigns in the ranking and with Tapia at the head of the individual classification.
Counted the mathematical details, and with a marker of 6-3, 6-7 and 7-6, what happened on the track was a game at the speed of light, during more than two hours of play, of give and take, of ruptures (only one in the first set), of shots, of impossible recoveries off the court, of lifting balls one centimeter from the ground, of volleys on the net one against one, of searching for angles impossible. Long points but not just passing the ball waiting for an advantageous position, but countering ball winners on both sides.
Tapia and Coello, as always; Lebrón and Galán motivated and agitated, but with the feeling that Lebrón was not forcing his punches, and that Galán was trying to distract himself from his knee problems. Despite that, Galán’s punch was devastating, more than Tapia’s, who executed it less, and Lebrón’s way of defending was Numantine, either on his side, or with all the background for him when Galán stayed in network. Of course, Tapia and Coello always dominated, although they were overcome in the last set: with 5-3 they had the first match point; with 5-4, three more; but they had to lift the set and the match in sudden death.
Fortunately for paddle tennis, this final anticipates more between them in the next tournaments, with two very similar couples but with their differences: Tapia and Coello, the youngest number one couple in history, already know that they cannot relax.
