Bea González and Claudia Fernández book a semifinal place in a nerve-shredding battle

Friday’s opening match at the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals delivered a dramatic, emotional and high-quality battle between two of the youngest pairs on Tour — with Bea González, at just 24 years old, the most experienced player on court.

The pre-match history favoured the No. 3 seeds of the 2025 season. González and Claudia Fernández had defeated Alejandra Alonso and Claudia Jensen in straight sets in all three of their previous meetings, but this time the contest followed a very different script.

The opening set was fiercely contested, with nine break-point opportunities shared between the two pairs. González and Fernández struck first, only for Alonso and Jensen to respond immediately with a break back. At 3-3, the pair coached by Reca broke once again, and this time the advantage proved decisive.

The set was far from over. Serving at 4-5, Alonso and Jensen earned two chances to break and force parity. But González took command at the crucial moments. She produced 14 winners in the opening set — more than double Alonso’s tally — to push her team over the line after almost an hour of intense play.

Alonso and Jensen responded with authority in the second set, clearly determined to change the momentum. An early break set them on their way, and a second soon followed. Twice they served for the set, yet González and Fernández refused to surrender, recovering both breaks in a remarkable display of resilience. Ultimately, Alonso and Jensen found a way to level the match, taking the second set 6-4.

The decisive third set belonged to Bea González. Playing at an extraordinary level, she finished the match with 32 winners, powering González and Fernández into a two-break lead. The pair coached by Cristian Jensen continued to fight and clawed back one break, but the No. 3 seeds held firm to close out the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 after 2 hours and 32 minutes — the first encounter of the Finals to be decided in three sets.

Sporting drama gave way to deep emotion at the conclusion of the match. The victory was overshadowed by the passing of Bea González’s paternal grandfather the day before the match. Visibly moved in the post-match interview, González struggled to hold back tears.

“I’m only here because it’s what he would have wanted — to see me enjoying myself on court,” she said.

Claudia Fernández was equally emotional in the press conference: “It’s been a very difficult situation. As her partner, I just wanted to do my best, and we fought until the very end.”

A hard-earned semifinal place, achieved through resilience, courage and unity — on and off the court.