The first tournament of the season will have a totally unexpected final for men and a classic for women, because Belasteguín and Coello will compete this Sunday at the Miami Open against Garrido and Campagnolo, unprecedented shock, and on the other hand Gemma Triay and Ale Salazar with Ari Sánchez and Paula Josemaría, that during the year 2021 they competed to lead the ranking and ended up as couples one and two respectively.
What has happened in the men’s box has been an earthquake. The four heads of series have been falling little by little: Galán and Lebrón, Paquito and Di Nenno, Stupaczuk and Ruiz and, at dawn, Sanyo and Tapia. It was not what was expected, of course. In the end they access Belasteguín (42 years old), the best player in history, with Coello from Valladolid, a young man (19) who caused a sensation last year (with Lamperti and Bela) but who never got past the semi-finals; and Garrido, current champion of Spain (21) and Lucas Campagnolo (26), a Brazilian who reaches his first final after overcoming difficult situations. The two couples were formed last year, and so far they have a short journey. And of the four that will be measured by the Open, Only Belasteguín, who wouldn’t have room for trophies on the shelves of his house if it weren’t for giving them away, knows what it means to be crowned.
The fact is that Belasteguín and Coello, who had defeated Paquito Navarro and Di Nenno (number 2) left by the wayside in the semifinals Tello and Chingotto (5, who arrived after beating Stupa and Ruiz, four) passing over them by a resounding 6-3 and 6-4. And then Garrido and Lucas, who had already eliminated Galán and Lebrón (one) struck down those who seemed called to take the gold. Sanyo and Tapia, Belasteguín’s former teammates in 2020 and 2021: 6-2 and 7-5.
In the women’s draw there is not even a hint of surprise regarding the final, with Triay and Salazar defending their status as the best in the ranking against their most characterized opponents, Ari Sánchez and Paula Josemaría, that the year 2021 at times were the best couple of the year and ended up with number two. Gemma and Ale ended the streak of the Gemelas Sánchez Alayeto without granting an option: 6-3 and 6-1; and Ari and Paula stopped their former teammates in their tracks Marta Ortega and Bea González, double 6-2. That is to say, the finalists only conceded four games in the semifinals, so the fatigue is similar in the face of a season in which many duels like today’s are outlined from the outset.