The player from Cádiz is preparing to start a new stage in his professional career, in which he will be accompanied by one of the great 'giants' of the World Paddle Tour Circuit. Excited with his new challenges, the Andalusian has revealed his motivations and upcoming objectives before the companions of WingPádel.
Padel World Press .- He already has his mind set on the Joma Barcelona Challenger, an appointment in which he will debut on Wednesday June 29, not before 18:30 p.m., against one of the qualified couples of the Previous Round ... In this test, in addition, the one from San Fernando will play his first 'official' match as a new partner of Fernando Poggi, with whom he is preparing to start a sports project in which he has placed great expectations.
Shortly after closing his adventure with Pablo Lijó, Chiqui looks to the future and talks with WingPádel's colleagues about what he expects from this new challenge.
What do you expect from this new stage with Fernando Poggi?
I hope to continue doing it as it does today or, if possible, even better. I'm really looking forward to everything that happened. I have already played a Fer tournament and it went very well for us. We know each other and we blend well inside the track. I think that for me it is a positive change, perhaps in the short term, but with which I think I will learn a lot.
How did you accept Pablo Lijó's decision to change partners and play with Jordi Muñoz?
At first it was a bit shocking. It took me by surprise, although maybe I could wait for it. To this day, the backhand players draw lots and now it is his turn to change Pablo, who I think is a player with a good sporting projection. I have been assimilating it with the passage of time, taking the necessary steps to find the best partner for me and I think that in the end I was fully successful with Poggi.
The change does not stop surprising, because the results were giving you good.
Yes, we also had a good result in the Palma de Mallorca Open. First we beat a great couple like Nerone-Quiles and then facing Silingo-Allemandi. Pablo and I are young; we both have 25 years and a whole career ahead. Pablo is a player that I love and that I will love forever. We are good friends and I'll stick with that. In the future, who knows if our roads can come together again?
Mallorca was your last World Padel Tour together and, nevertheless, you were seen at your best level.
So is. In the first game against Nerone-Quiles we were very solid. We both play with tremendous confidence. The attitude and the mood was the best. We do not miss anything and we play very correctly, like a clock, as my coach says. Nerone-Quiles are a Top Ten couple and we beat them. That means we can be with the best. And then, against Tito Allemandi-Agustín Gómez Silingo, I think we played our best first set of the season, taking the match against Cristian-Juan Martín. In the third, we lower our arms a little and you know what happens with these rivaes if you get a little confused ... What are you going for fast home.
Precisely, one of the points in which Poggi can help you with your seniority is to keep you always involved in the games.
So is. We have won at the I Indúo-Nissan Santogal Open in Guadalajara, and it has already given me many positive things. Fernando is a different player than Pablo, who perhaps has a cooler character. Fer has more temperament, speaks more, encourages me on the track and has a lot of experience. And that's basically what it's going to bring me. I am sure that it will help me a lot to continue growing as a player.
Do your expectations change from now on? Do you keep the same goals?
Everything remains the same for me. Now with Fernando, nothing changes. I've always said: I'm not worried about ranking. I just want to go tournament to tournament and focus on improving. That will remain my goal until the end of the year. The objective is to continue improving, reaching the last sixteen and, if possible, enter the quarterfinals of a tournament, as I did in Gijón.
What is clear in this beginning of the season is that equality in the Professional Circuit is more present than ever.
Yes. I would say that except for the first three couples we are all more or less on the same level. Even those first three pairs, as they fall apart in a game, can be more of a shock as has already happened. Now we all want to win. This sport has become very professional in recent times. It is even seen in social networks which players are trained more, who are dedicated 100% to paddle ... As it is said, it is getting 'very expensive' to reach the last rounds, so we just have to keep working hard to be there with the best.
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