Galan/Lebron against Navarro/Di Nenno: in Rome, the n. 1 trophy at stake

The electrified atmosphere of Saturday evening was not an everyday experience but, the final of the first edition of the Italy Major Premier Padel has ticked all the boxes to become even better. Playing for the trophy on the Grand Stand Arena of the Foro Italico (Sunday at 6 pm, some last-minute tickets are still available on the  TicketOne platform) will be the two strongest couples in the world: on one side Ale Galan and Juan Lebron and on the other, Paquito Navarro and Martin Di Nenno.

In the last few days, spectators at the Foro Italico have witnessed first-hand the quality of padel offered by the finest players and also the – incredibly high - level of performance and entertainment that the semi-finals day offered the Foro Italico public which at a peak reached over 6,000. Spectators stood to applaud every point with their hands red from clapping or rubbing their eyes in disbelief at the unimaginable solutions undertaken by mere mortals and conducted (often successfully) with disarming ease. Padel at the highest level is truly entertaining and the wonderful thing is that you don't have to be a great fan to enjoy it, to get into the match, to understand the game and its dynamics. There is even no need to cheer for one couple or the other: just enjoy the performance and that is all. And it is well worth the effort.

To add to the final pathos is that at stake is the first position in the FIP world rankings which at the moment is held by two Spaniards in advantage by a mere 345 points when the difference between a victory (2,000) and a final (1,200) of a Major is 800. This means that the winner takes all, and even if Galan said that he counts on being n. 1 at the end of the year and not during, the top seeded players are most interested in the ranking, and even more in this revolutionary period of the sport that is making it a world phenomenon, also through the increased popularity and visibility of its finest interpreters.

Going into detail of the match, the Rome final will be a replay of last April’s match in Doha and won 6-3 7-6 by the outsiders. One reason more for Galan and Lebron to take the return match now is the level of skill shown by them so far in this tournament which has been more convincing than their opponents. Navarro/Di Nenno lost a set in both the quarter- and the semi-finals with evident empty passages which at a certain level of game, don't come without a cost. In their first two matches they were the stronger couple and they made it. Now, in the final they are not the favourites, and they need to be very careful not to leave anything to chance.

When they are on the ball, and in Rome they are Galan and Lebron are two fighting animals. All they need is the slightest whiff of a chance to transform a game, and if they switch on their hyper-aggressive mode, there is no defence against them as they are capable of scoring from any corner of the court, sealing games in less than a minute with four winning smashes in a row without their opponents even touching the ball. Navarro/Di Nenno on the other hand manage only on one side of the court (Paquito's) and in a certain sense, this could be fundamental in the final; more than once the second-ranked couple have managed to find elsewhere - a sort of alchemy - the key to defeat the stronger opponent.

Independently from the name of who will hold the trophy up high, what we will certainly see will be an entertaining performance with different styles of play on court. Navarro and Di Nenno are a more classical couple with well-defined roles: one in defence and one in attack, a player that entertains and one that pays attention to substance; perhaps not drawing the crowds but in padel this helps win a lot of games. Galan and Lebron are both all-round players: in attack, in defence, aggressive, powerful, and whatever else is needed. If you already have a ticket to the final then hold