The first day of the Main Round of the new world tour Premier Padel Tour was played during challenging conditions with a lot of wind in Doha, Qatar. And there was one pair who were particularly affected and had to leave the Qatar Major after the first day.
The first day of the Qatar Major 2022, one of this year's four Type 1 (highest ranked) tournaments as the organizers, the International Padel Federation, call it, is over.
It means that a new padel era has started, a more globalized one and that the conflict between the World Padel Tour and this newly launched tour is moving from words to action.
And it was a Monday that offered some windy weather in Doha. Since all the courts are outdoors, it got tricky at times on the five courts. I don't know how often you saw players who barely dared to lob, but the wind took the ball, and it blew out onto the opponent's back wall.
Those who played in the evening had slightly better conditions than those who played when it was windiest, in the middle of the day.
There is a bit of a split on whether the same conditions will continue to be as windy as it has been the other days. We'll have reason to come back to it. One thing that is for sure is that the Center Court is more wind-protected than the other courses.
The big surprise of the day was that super talent Javi Leal and his partner Miguel Semmler were eliminated in the first round against Ignacio "Nacho" Vilarino and José Gonzalez. A pair that has never qualified for a main tournament on the World Padel Tour. Tomorrow they face world star Sanyo Gutierrez and his nephew Agustin Gutierrez.
We'll see if there are any more surprises tomorrow. Most of the top-seeded pairs, excluding Franco Stupaczuk and Alex Ruiz, arrived at the players' hotel today and will go into the tournament tomorrow.
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There were not many in the audience today. But compared to the first day of other tournaments, it was still an okay number. But plenty of empty seats on every court. A somewhat inexperienced crowd here in Qatar might cheer a bit at the wrong time and vice versa. But it will probably get better with time.
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If the organizers had brought all the guards around the stadium into the arena, the arena would probably have been packed. At every corner you walk here at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex, there is a guard ready to guide you.
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The larger classes are a success! In Premier Padel, more teams in the main round are a success that should be continued. Sure, there is currently too much difference between the top and bottom of the Main Draw. But, incredibly watchable to see new pairs that you have previously seen qualify in the Main Round and great for developing padel with more teams in the Main Round. It will make for a more even top and greater diversity in the future.
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Today was a historic day for padel. Today the sport took a big step toward becoming even more professional and most important of all: more global. Read more in my column that I published earlier in the day.
