Chingotto/Tello never disappoint: they are the first semifinalists

Many variables come into play in a Padel match, but Federico Chingotto and Juan Tello have long learned to dodge the blows. This is because, among the high-level pairs, the two Argentines are - also thanks to their build and technical skills - the ones who are the most balanced, and because it has become really rare to see them lose when they start out as favourites. This was the case in the quarterfinals of the Italy Major Premier Padel, Friday’s first match on the Grandstand Arena. Opponents Francisco Gil and Agustin Gomez Silingo set out with moderate ambitions carried over from their great second round success against both “Javis”, Rico and Ruiz, the no. 8-seeded pair. Unfortunately for them they were up against the Argentine’s tactics, the most durable among Padel’s high-level pairs, and lost 3-6 4-6 in 78 minutes.

A break per set was enough for Chingotto and Tello to close it off, but their two very proactive opponents did not fail to put a spoke in their wheel at times. Especially at the start of the second set, when in the fourth game Tello made a couple of mistakes and the pair found themselves three break points down, at 0-40.

But they were good at keeping their cool, saving the service game and channelling their efforts into coming back from behind.  A decisive diving shot in the following game did the trick, thanks also to Spaniard Gil’s hesitance, since of the four, he was the one least used to playing matches at this level. This is how the quarterfinal matchpoint went: after failing to win two initial matchpoints, Tello decided that it was not worth risking deuce, so to return Silingo’s por tres shot, he went for a recovery from under the legs which was impossible for the opponents reach, which was greeted by rapturous cheering.

“We are very happy to be in the semifinals of a Major again - said Chingotto -, at the end of a tough match like that. We played well: it was only one break per set that made the difference, which we defended in both. The conditions were not easy: the court is very fast, there is humidity, it was really hot. We tried to help ourselves by cooling down with ice, but the perceived temperature was 50 degrees. The semifinal? It is the same approach as before and a match like any other, even if obviously at this point in the tournament the desire to go all the way gets stronger. We'll try, but now we’ll go and rest. When we find out who our opponents are for Saturday we will start preparing”.

As the world-ranked no.9, Olavarria-born Argentine said, for them it’s two semifinals in two Premier Padel Major tournaments in a row. In fact, Chingotto/Tello were also in the last four pairs last month at the inaugural event in Doha, winning three matches in two sets before surrendering to no. 1 pair Ale Galan and Juan Lebron. This time, however, they are in the same draw as Navarro/Di Nenno, who play Gonzalez/Ruiz in the first of the night session matches.