He was one of the great protagonists of the Estrella Damm Masters Finals. In the company of Ramiro Moyano, they reached the title match despite starting as eighth seeds. The great Argentine player has spoken with Vibor-A's teammates, together with whom he has made a complete review of his performance in the Masters Tournament.
Padel World Press .- They had it within reach of their hands, they touched it with the yolk of the fingers. A point in the decisive moment, a ball that would pass to the other side of the court instead of staying in the net ... That was what separated them from the conquest of the Masters Tournament but, in spite of that, both Maxi Grabiel and Ramiro Moyano they have more than enough reasons to feel proud for their runner-up in the test with which the curtain of the present season was lowered in the Circuit World Pádel Tour.
They know that they have broken down that barrier that they still had to overcome. They have shown themselves that they have the qualities to beat the best and, with this, they are preparing to start a 2016 in which they can be one of the most 'dangerous' couples and to be taken into account by all rivals.
Do not miss this complete interview with the teammates of Team Vibor-A, full of phrases that demonstrate the true essence of Maxi: that of a great champion and a superlative partner in every way.
You came to the Master as a couple number 8 and you were about to win… What happened in your team game to take this step forward?
Two things happened: the first day we played, we noticed the fastest track and that we loved because, for our style of play, we come very well live surfaces. This first aspect made us feel very comfortable from the beginning. In the second place, what we were crying out for was happening: to get a great result ... And this happened at the crossroads against Paquito Navarro-Matías Díaz. Our feelings have been positive throughout the regular season but we did not manage to finish off an outstanding performance. I think it was the moment when we began to value our possibilities.
In the final against, Juan Martín Díaz and Maxi Sánchez, you had 10 break balls in the second set ... Can you win a final by forgiving so much at crucial moments?
Categorically NO. And less with this class of players, plenty of hierarchy and experience. If you do not take advantage of the few opportunities they give, you are dead. And so it happened to us. I think we generate many more than we usually need to close a final. A pity, we could not capitalize. Remember that they in the important moments brought out the best in their game. He melted us when we broke the service in the first game of the third set. We had seen all those opportunities go by, we were solving our service without problems, and at the first opportunity they had, they took advantage of it ... We completely fell apart.
How has Maxi Grabiel played in the Masters Tournament? How have you seen yourself from inside the track?
In general, good. To reach the final of a tournament of these characteristics if you do not give the maximum and you are at a high level, it is impossible. The complementation as a couple has been the best. We have done our best team game to date ... Especially when one of the two was going through a pothole, the other brought out the best in him to compensate for those technical aspects that were falling apart.
Your partner, Ramiro Moyano, was named best player of the tournament. How have you seen your game evolve throughout the five days of competition?
Every day I admire Ramiro more. I train with him every day and I'm used to seeing what he plays. It's a barbarity. He had already been talking to our trained Horacio Álvarez Clementi and other friends: "Rami only needs to win a couple of the big ones and lose respect." He has always played a lot, but he had never managed to finish a great performance in an important match, he has always been close but he never got it. At last he has turned the tables and I have helped him. Proud to have taken this step forward at his side.
After his performance in the Master, he will be raffling the first swords with the amount of changes that are glimpsed in the face of the 2016 season.
Before the Master had already had several proposals of great players. I told him not to feel obliged to me for calling him in the middle of the season and having accompanied him in this brief stage of his professional life. I am happy and proud that he decided to continue at my side, I value a lot the loyalty he has shown me. This gesture says a lot about him as a person. I think he's already the fashion player that everyone will want, including brands.
Looking ahead to the next season, you will have something won as a couple by staying together and having geared your game in the second half of the 2015 season.
Of course. Look what happened to me with Cristian this year, we are still looking for us. We can not adapt. All couples go through a period of coupling. Some it costs more and others less. We already have our game geared and this will give us a plus of a certain advantage with respect to the newly created pairs.
In September, when the results were not yet coming, your trained rHoracio Álvarez Clementi, declared that you were in a position to win any couple. Has the road been hard until the achievement of the second place in the Master?
It has been hard the fact of not curdling and capture our game in the tournaments, since the trainings have been like all life, double shift. That does not cost us; the truth is that we enjoy the daily routine but it is true that when you train so much and the results do not finish, you get a little demoralized. We felt we were playing well but we did not put it on the track. They were delicate moments in the psychological.
After the battle, the deserved rest of the warrior will come. What will you do until the start of the 2016 preseason?
In these coming days, absolutely nothing. Rest. I will spend the holidays with the family here and the January 03 march for Argentina to the 31. It's too long to be inactive. I will return to the cement fields that saw me born as a player. They are incredible moments. It's back to childhood, to remember so many beautiful moments ... It's very curious, I find quite a lot of people who are still playing paddle since those years, tremendously fanatical. You can imagine the amount of experiences we have in common to remember.
As soon as you finish the Master's final, you made some statements stating that "We did not conquer the sky, but we were in it". Tell us something about that place.
Specifically, I was referring to the space of time that passed since we got the pass to the semifinals until the start of the final. It was a dream, for Rami it was the first time I played a Masters and for me, I am the only professional who has played all with Juan Martín Díaz, it was the first final. The sky is a quiet place, full of serenity, a state of relaxation that is difficult to reach by other roads. We could not stay, we lost in the final, but I assure you that we enjoyed some indescribable moments.
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