Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal met as children, dreaming that one day they would play for a title after defeating the world number ones. That dream became reality in Pretoria, where the seventh seeds did not settle for beating Juan Lebron and Leo Augsburger, but went one step further, celebrating with an emotional embrace after match point. It was a victory that will be remembered for a long time: Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia had reached the final in each of the last 27 tournaments they had played, and had not missed a title match since the Asuncion P2 last year. Guerrero and Leal, however, earned the right to challenge Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan thanks to a 7-5 7-5 victory in one hour and 20 minutes, ending Coello and Tapia's hopes of claiming a sixth consecutive title (their last defeat had come in the Buenos Aires final in May). Standing between Guerrero and Leal and what would be a historic title are Chingotto and Galan, who in the first semi-final defeated Juanlu Esbri and Sanyo Gutierrez 7-5 6-4, bringing to an end an unforgettable week for the Spanish pair in South Africa. WOMEN Pretoria also witnessed another outstanding performance: in their very first tournament together, Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo booked their place in the final. The young Spaniards - Fernandez born in 2006 and Calvo in 2008 - conceded just five games in a 6-1 6-4 victory over Bea Gonzalez and Paula Josemaria. Fernandez, who has not lifted a title since the Barcelona Finals, and Calvo, whose only previous Premier Padel final came at Newgiza last year alongside Ale Salazar, will face Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay on Sunday at 1 p.m. local time. Fresh from their title in Malaga, the world number ones secured another final with a 6-2 6-1 win over Ale Salazar and Aranzazu Osoro and will now look to add another trophy to their collection.
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