Chingalán conquer Asunción after defeating Coello-Tapia in a thrilling final

After missing out on the “clásico” in Brussels due to the emergence of Lebrón and Augsburger, Paraguay once again hosted the head-to-head matchup between the two top couples in Premier Padel. The No. 1s in the overall rankings, Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, faced off against the RACE leaders, Ale Galán and Fede Chingotto, in the final of the Asunción P2.

From nearly being eliminated in the quarterfinals to winning the final

Coello and Tapia entered the tournament’s final match fresher after dispatching Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz in straight sets in the quarterfinals and Lebrón and Augsburger in the semifinals. In contrast, Galán and Chingotto reached the Asunción P2 final physically drained, having spent three more hours on the court than their rivals on their way to the final.

Well, despite that fatigue, it was Chingalán who started off leading on the scoreboard. They managed a break in the opening game, but Tapia and Coello quickly neutralized it. In the fifth game, once again, the No. 2 couple broke the No. 1s’ serve, and this time, yes, that break proved decisive as Fede and Ale took the first set 6-3.

In the second set, the match became more evenly matched. Each pair held their serves. However, just as it seemed headed for a tiebreak, the first two match points came in the twelfth game for Chingalán. Tapia and Coello saved the day, but it was at that very moment that Chingotto stepped up, closing out the match with two winners from the court and securing another title for him and Galán.

Key takeaways from the final

• Chingotto and Galán will remain at No. 1 in the FIP Race rankings. With the 600 points each has earned, they now have 3,670 points, compared to Coello and Tapia’s 3,280 points.
• Chingotto and Galán lead the head-to-head this season, with 3 wins for them and 1 for Coello and Tapia. However, in the overall record, Arturo and Agustín lead 21-12.
• Galán extends his lead over Tapia as the most decorated active player, with 57 career titles to Mozart’s 55.
• With this win, Galán and Chingotto have claimed 4 titles this season, compared to Coello and Tapia’s two.