The BNL Italy Major just delivered the most dramatic week in Premier Padel history. By the time the confetti settled at the Foro Italico on Saturday night, the #1 pairs in both draws had reasserted their dominance — but the road there was anything but straightforward.
Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia beat Federico Chingotto and Alejandro Galán 7-5, 7-6(5) in a men's final that lived up to its "Clásico" billing. Chingotto/Galán had won four straight meetings and two consecutive Rome titles. This time, the world #1s found their level: 58 winners against 21 unforced errors. Coello called it "a special victory" while Tapia dropped a staggering stat — this was their 23rd consecutive final.
Twenty-three. In a row.
On the women's side, Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay defeated Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero 6-1, 7-5 to win back-to-back Rome titles. But the real story happened 24 hours earlier.
Sánchez and Ustero played the longest match in Premier Padel history to beat Paula Josemaría and Bea González 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the semifinal. Four hours and 12 minutes. They saved four match points. Four. Two at 6-5 in the second set, one at 8-7 in the tiebreak, one at 6-5 in the deciding-set tiebreak. Josemaría/González's 22-match winning streak and five consecutive titles evaporated in one extraordinary night.
The exhaustion showed in the final — Sánchez/Ustero dropped the first set 1-6 — but nothing can take away what they achieved. That semifinal is an instant classic.
Triay was candid: "Winning this tournament is very important after losing five finals consecutively. Reaching #1 is very hard, but defending it is harder."
Over 9,000 fans packed the Foro Italico for finals night. Rome remains padel's grandest stage.
Source: Padel Addict — Italy Major finals, Padel FIP — Historic semifinal