UAE-based Wildcard Enjoys Her Moment Under Centre Court Spotlight
Inside the same Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium where compatriot Rafael Nadal tasted glory some 18 years ago, Dubai-based Spanish wildcard Angela Caro Cantin left everything on Centre Court as she battled for close to three hours before slipping out of the inaugural Dubai Premier Padel P1.
Caro Cantin, 39, and Argentine playing partner Gimena Sol Perez – both padel coaches in the emirate – had booked their place in the €470,000 eight-day tournament after winning last month’s Wildcard Tournament at Nad Al Sheba, which was open to amateurs. In Monday’s first match on Centre Court, the pair faced teenagers Marta Arellano Navarro and Laura Luja Rodriguez in the first round of qualifying, battling for two hours and 45 minutes before eventually falling 5-7, 6-4, 2-6 under the lights.
“I lost, but I’m very, very happy,” said Caro Cantin, who enjoyed vocal support from family, friends, and students from Central Padel Dubai, where she works as a coach. “The environment in Dubai is really amazing. I’ve came here to watch the tennis tournament in previous years and I really didn’t expect to play on Centre Court today – it’s huge. I didn’t want to look up; I was looking at my shoes, the grass, whatever! So to play on Centre Court, with my family watching, was amazing. I loved it.
“I did everything I could out there; I didn’t have anything left to give, but the opposition is very young and super ready. They are well trained, very fit, and, of course, that was the difference.”
Making their Premier Padel debut, Caro Cantin and Perez fought tirelessly, but came agonisingly short as they failed to close out at set-point in the opening exchanges. They showed impressive mental strength to bounce back from the disappointment and take the second set, but with the match dragging on and tiredness creeping in, the third set proved too much as Navarro-Rodriguez raced to a 4-0 lead before closing it out 6-2.
“When you lose these kind of important points, the game can turn on its head, so for me, that was the key,” said Caro Cantin. “We played very good, but it’s also crucial to have your mind in the right place and focus until the last minute. You can play perfect, but if your mind is not there or you make a bad decision at a key moment, you can lose.”
Navarro-Rodriguez will be back in action on Tuesday morning in the final round of qualifying, facing Lara Arruabarrena and Julia Polo Bautista on Court 2. Meanwhile the first-round proper of both the Men’s and Women’s Dubai Premier Padel P1 tournaments officially get under way, with UAE representatives Arnau Ayats, Sergio Icardo, Francisco Jurado Sosa, and Fares Al Janahi all in action on Centre Court.
Last Updated on 1 month by News Desk 1
