First day of the World Padel League: a comeback and an upset

The fourth season of the World Padel League kicked off today at the SVP Stadium Dome in Mumbai, with two matches that sent a clear message: in this format, where the winner of each tie is decided by the total number of games across the three sets played, nothing is decided until the very last point has been won.

The Leopards stage a comeback against the Jaguars

The Jaguars got off to a better start. In the first set – the women’s match – Claudia Jensen and Alejandra Alonso beat Marta Ortega and Verónica Virseda 7–5, putting the green team ahead on the overall scoreboard right at the start of the afternoon.

The Leopards’ response came in the second set, the men’s doubles. The Deus brothers faced off against Enzo Jensen and Nacho Piotto and, after a closely contested set, took it 7-6. The overall score was virtually level, with everything to play for in the third set.

That’s when Javi Ruiz and Fran Guerrero stepped up, giving Pol Hernández and Guille Collado no chance: 6-3 and the set went to the Leopards. It’s no small matter that it was Guerrero himself who delivered the final blow, given how much he is loved by the Mumbai crowd ever since he helped win Season 2 in this very city.

With that final set, the Vedanta Leopards took the match 18 games to 16, securing the first points for their side and living up to their ranking.

The Panteras Hunt Down the Cheetahs

The afternoon’s second match also got off to a difficult start for the home side. Jesús Moya and Lucho Capra, playing for the Cheetahs, beat Juan Tello and Edu Alonso 6–4 in the first set of the men’s doubles, putting some distance between the teams even before the women took to the court.

That’s when everything changed. Marta Caparrós and Marta Barrera took to the court and gave Aranza Osoro and Julieta Bidahorria hardly a moment’s respite: 6–1, the most convincing set of the day, and the match completely turned on its head in just a few games.

The third set confirmed the trend. Enrique Goenaga and Rama Valenzuela faced none other than Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz, one of the most recognisable pairs in the entire tournament, and didn’t let them get into the match: 6-2 and the match was over. The fact that one of the most decorated names from Season 4 was knocked out on the very first day, having lost a set so decisively, is undoubtedly one of those scenes that can only be witnessed in this competition.

With this result, Hubtown Panorama Panthers sealed the score at 16 games to 9, the widest margin of victory on the entire first day.