Top seeded pair Juan Lebron and his Spanish partner Alejandro Galan on Thursday beat Fernando Belasteguin and Spain’s Arturo Coello in straight sets to reach the semi-finals on Day Four of the Ooredoo Qatar Major 2022.
Lebron and Galan delivered yet another commanding performance at they won 6-3, 7-5 in 80 minutes at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex.
‘We are very pleased with our win. We are happy with our form,” Lebron said yesterday. The Spanish padel star praised the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for ‘smooth conduct’ of the five-day championship that has attracted the world’s best players.
“Personally I am happy to be in Doha. I have to admit that throughout my career in the sport, I have not seen such ideal organization. Qatar’s commitment is reflected in the way they have staged this event,” Lebron said.
“We thought that the organization of this event here would be like previous tournaments in which we participated but Qatar Tennis Federation succeeded in changing that perception. The QTF has taken this event to a new high. Clearly Qatar prides itself in hosting world-class sports events
Galan said yesterday: “I applaud QTF for this wonderful tournament. We are witnessing a great event and all players in Doha have accorded widespread praise for this superbly-staged tournament. I am also one of those players who have nothing but praise for Qatar.
Galan added: “I am amazed at the infrastructure of the Khalifa International Tennis Complex. It is truly world-class. Even the training facilities are great.”
In another match, second seeded pair Francisco Navarro of Spain and Martin Di Nenno of Argentina yesterday eased past Spanish duo of Javier Rico and Jeronimo Gonzalaez in straight sets. Navarro and Di Nenno won 6-1, 6-3 in exactly one hour.
Also yesterday, third see Alejandro Ruiz of Spain and Franco Stupaczuk beat Lucas Campagnolo of Brazil and Javier Garrido of Spain in a marathon match that stretched to 1 hour and 48 minutes. Ruiz and Stupackzuk won 7-6, 6-4.
Lebron yesterday said he is expecting a favourable draw for football powerhouse Spain who will be part of the
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Lebron was answering a question linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup draw that will be conducted in Doha today.
“I hope the draw would be suitable for Spain who qualified for the World Cup long back. Everyone here is talking about football, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the draw that will be held on Friday. I am hoping that the Spanish national team will present a special show during the World Cup and succeed in winning the title,” Lebron said.
When asked about the FIFA 2022 World Cup stadiums, Lebron and Galan applauded the infrastructure developed by Qatar.
“The World Cup in Qatar is an important event for the Arabs. By hosting the tournament for the first time in the Middle East, clearly Qatar has done wonderful things in terms of preparing for the tournament,” Galan said.