Juan Lebron is back in a final in Milan after three years, and he has done so in a unique way: by winning a great match full of emotion and spectacular shots after coming from behind. After losing the first set in less than 25 minutes, 6–0, in a result that seemed to leave no room for hope, El Lobo and Leo Augsburger produced a magnificent reaction and defeated Ale Galan and Fede Chingotto (0–6, 6–2, 6–2). The Allianz Cloud, packed to capacity (and it will be just as full for Sunday’s finals), accompanied every moment of the match, enjoying Lebron’s wild celebrations. More than anything, he was eager to experience nights like these again, after having been stopped too often before reaching Sunday. The match was tense, an emotional roller coaster, but in the end Leo and Juan came out on top. They will now face the world’s number one pair, Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, in the final, as they chase their fourth consecutive title. “Ale and Fede played an incredible first set, as everyone saw,” El Lobo said. “It wasn’t easy to get back to playing the way we had throughout the week. In the end, we both managed to produce an impressive level of play. What we take away from this match is the awareness that we can overcome even difficult moments, stay calm and continue working as a team. We knew we could turn things around, and I believe that today we grew a lot, both as players and as a partnership.”
For Augsburger, tomorrow’s match will be his first final at the Milan P1 tournament. As part of his development, a victory of this kind represents a valuable learning experience. “As Juan said, after that 6–0 set, we managed to respond by showing great team spirit, courage and confidence,” Leo explained. “We stopped doubting ourselves and started playing for real, bringing out our best padel. We knew that, after winning the first set, our opponents would have a lot of confidence. Fortunately, we managed to get back on track, recover and win the match. We’re very happy to be in another final, an objective we’ve been pursuing for a long time.”
This season, Lebron and Augsburger have been the only pair, apart from the ‘Chingalan’ duo and the world’s number one team, to win a title. At the P2 tournament (Bruxelles), they had beaten Coello and Tapia themselves in the final. “Tomorrow, we’re facing a difficult challenge,” El Lobo said. “We have to keep going down this path.” When asked who they dedicate their semifinal victory to, both players were clear: “This result belongs to our team, our family and our friends. We’re delighted to share our time with them. They are an essential part of our lives and give us the positive energy we need to perform at our best in every situation.”