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At their seventh attempt this season, Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno finally managed to beat Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez, reaching their first final in a Major in Rome. The result was the outcome of an exemplary match, conducted to perfection and won with tactics and experience
22 giugno 2024
Spectacular. There are no better adjectives to describe the performance that brought Patty Llaguno and Lucia Sainz, a combined age of 78, to the final at the BNL Italy Major. An extraordinary feat, one that sends shivers down your spine even for two champions who have won so much in their careers and reached the top of the rankings. They accomplished it despite the heat, the 18 years of the rising star Claudia Fernandez, and the superiority of Gemma Triay. The only way to win was to play the perfect match, and the two veterans did just that on the most important occasion, triumphing 7-5, 6-4 to secure their first final in a Major.
A result that seemed unlikely on the eve of the match, because their opponents were coming off 12 consecutive wins (and 2 titles) and had conceded only 8 games in the first three matches at the Foro Italico. But, point by point, Patty and Lucia crafted a miracle of tactics and experience, conducting the duel exemplarily and seizing every opportunity.
Sainz/Llaguno reach their first Major final in Rome
They deserved the first set, with more winners and fewer errors than their opponents, and led from the start in the second set, fending off the rivals' attempts to come back even when Sainz began to show some vulnerability. A monumental Llaguno kept them in the game, and it was fitting that she sealed the final point, piercing Triay once again.
"This year," said Patty, "we had already lost to them six times. So, we told ourselves to try and have fun, playing without pressure. It went great. We love Rome and are overjoyed with this result." Echoing her partner, Lucia said, "This is an incredibly important result for us. Everything was in this match. Tomorrow we will fight like warriors to try and win again."