He was one of the great stars of one of the most emblematic tournaments of Italian paddle. Through the Adidas Paddle Blog, the Madrilenian wanted to share with the fans how was his passage through transalpine lands… Without a doubt, a great opportunity to learn more about the situation that this wonderful sport is going through in the 'country of the boot'.
Padel World Press .- Just a few days ago, and taking advantage of the Circuit break World Padel Tour Before the Gran Canaria Open, I had the great luck to travel to compete in the XIX Citta 'Di Bologna Trophy, a tournament organized by the International Padel Federation at the Country Club Racket World facilities. Undoubtedly it was a great opportunity to see in first person how it is evolving positively in terms of the organization and players in both Italian and European padel.
We left Madrid on Friday morning, heading towards Italy. Landed at the Bologna Airport, we went straight to the hotel to check-in and leave our suitcases to quickly go out to see the club's facilities where, the next day, we would start playing ... It is an imposing enclosure with tennis courts of clay, gyms, swimming pool and of course, padel courts. Thanks to the great acceptance that this sport is having in the region, it inaugurated with this appointment its 3 new indoor courts.
At sport level, we expect a test of 19 pairs, with the top Italian rankings as well as with other players from other places in Europe such as Holland, Germany and even Lithuania.
There I met who would be my partner during the tournament: my great friend, the Swede Kim Olsson. I met him 3 years ago, thanks to an event held by Adidas Pádel at his club. We played a tournament there and we had a very good connection both on and off the court. He is a regular player on the Swedish Circuit and whenever he can he organizes to try to play as many tournaments as possible. Although it is a bit more difficult for Kim to play offense and win the points, I have to say that he is an excellent player defensively… He gives it all back !! So the tactic was clear: he to defend and I, whoever I could, to attack for all with my shovel Adipower Attk.
In the talk of food we exchanged opinions about the world of paddle tennis in Sweden, Italy and Europe. How happy I am to hear that more and more new places are being reached and that new players are being added every day… That is great news for all of us who love this sport !! After lunch we went to rest for a while, in the afternoon, to have a training match with 2 Dutch players who were also playing this competition. It was a great training session, which served to verify that in Holland there is a very good level, that they are not far from that far and that it is only a matter of time before their international players make a place in the elite.
In the Competition we came out of number 1 seeds due to my points awarded by WPT and which, thanks to the agreement between World Padel Tour and the FIP, have been in force for some time. So the pressure was maximum ... Although when you consider playing a tournament of these characteristics you do it thinking about living new experiences, as is obvious in the head is winning and, above all, spending a good weekend competing surrounded by good friends and to be able to contribute your grain of sand so that the paddle continue to expand the way he is doing.
One of the things I see is that international players greatly appreciate the presence and advice of those who have been playing and living professional paddle for a long time. They are not yet, but they aspire to be one day and together we must help them to achieve it ... They show a special interest in asking you questions about your day to day, about the World Padel Tour, about the Circuits in Spain, etc ... And He does it in order to improve his knowledge and continue helping paddle to continue to grow more and more in their respective countries ... And boy are they getting it !!
After reaching the semifinals, we faced Juan Restivo and Lolo, a local player from Rome, who in the end were the ones who took the FIP Tournament. It was an intense game in which they took the first set 6-4. Although we leveled the contest with a clear 1-6 in the second, in the third, and, although we fought hard, the victory was for them by 6-3.
Again it was a pleasure to play with Kim again and have shared, from inside the track, to play with a partner with whom you are not used to doing. We will have to start thinking about a new competition for upcoming dates.
For me, this trip to Italy was the most rewarding… A very nice experience in which I have been able to see and see how much paddle tennis is growing outside our borders.
I hope to travel more and more throughout Europe and around the world to continue proving that the hobby for our wonderful sport of paddle tennis it has no roof.
Peter Alonso
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