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After retiring from professional tennis last year, 20-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer is “back on the court”–the padel tennis court, that is, as he played a friendly game of doubles in Dubai. See video above.

What is the difference between a bandeja and a vibora ?

Bandeja and vibora are two of the most famous padel tennis shots. In fact they are specific to this sport which means you will only see them on padel courts. But do you know how to distinguish them ?

 The bandeja, a “defensive shot” ?

First, let’s talk about bandeja. Bandeja means “tray” in english. Indeed, when you realize a bandeja you prepare your shot with your arm parallel to the ground and with the head of the racket being open, just like the way a waiter carries a tray. By doing so, you make sure the ball will not bounce too much after it touches the glass, leaving your rivals in defense and forcing them to squat to play the ball. Fernando Belasteguin and Alejandra Salazar are the all-time masters of the bandeja and it was first created to allow the players who are attacking to maintain their position at the net. To make it simple, a bandeja was called a “defensive shot”, and was used in a lob situation when it was too risky to smash the ball.

 Now, the bandeja has evolved, and a lot of players are trying to strike it stronger, with more effect, in an intent on taking the advantage or even on winning the point. In this search, an even more aggressive shot was created : the vibora.

 The vibora, a more aggressive shot !

Vibora means viper in english. It’s a variation of the bandeja, with your elbow bent when you prepare your shot. With the “pala” closer to your body, you will have the possibility to strike stronger and with more effect. Knowing the grip is a little more closed than with a bandeja, you will have the opportunity to put even more effect with your wrist.

 One of the kings of the vibora among professional players are Ale Galan and Paquito Navarro. In fact, a well-realized vibora that will land close to the corner will be very difficult to defend. But if you try to do it too strong while you’re not well positioned, it may give an attacking opportunity to your rivals.

You can try to manage both vibora and bandeja but knowing arm position and grips are not the same for these two shots, it will be easier for each of us to perform one or another. That’s why some coaches will tell you to stick with the one that feels more comfortable. The only thing you need to remember, whether you use one or another, is not to force too much when you’re not perfectly positioned !

FINAL (18h00): Juan Lebron (🇪🇸) / Alejandro Galan (🇪🇸) Vs. Franciscoo Navarro (🇪🇸) / Martin Di Nenno (🇦🇷)

Live from Rome, Italy.

Rob Chilton’s piece in Esquire Middle East explores the exploding popularity of padel tennis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE):

A few years ago, if you’d said that one of your hobbies was padel, people would have thought you were referring to stand up paddleboarding. Mention padel now, however, and it’s highly likely you’ll get a beaming smile of recognition followed by an enthusiastic description of a rally they saw in a professional match on YouTube that morning (Google ‘insane padel rallies’ and you’ll see what I mean).

Padel is the hottest thing to happen to racquet sports since Rafa Nadal’s mahogany biceps. A high-energy hybrid of squash and tennis, padel is played on a court surrounded by reinforced glass walls and is all about deftness of touch, chasing rebounds, playing the angles, and guiding the ball into corners to make it awkward for your opponent to return the ball. If tennis is the equivalent of a five-day cricket Test match, padel is the Twenty20 Big Bash League.

Kite Beach, Al Quoz, Emirates Golf Club, JLT, Ripe Market, Jumeirah Golf Estates… padel courts have been popping up all over Dubai in the last three years. Yet the sport’s astonishing popularity in Dubai means that, despite the growing number of clubs, it’s easier to book a table at Zuma on Saturday night than it is to find an available padel court. Drive past any padel club – even late at night – and you’ll see a flurry of activity as players get their fix of this addictive game.

I took up padel because I was becoming increasingly frustrated by playing – and failing at – tennis. What looks easy on TV when Rafa and Roger exchange ground strokes is maddeningly difficult in real life as a court with large dimensions, tramlines and baselines results in minuscule room for error. Padel, however, is easy to learn and you can improve quickly because the absence of lines (apart from when serving) means a mishit backhand goes unpunished thus allowing players more freedom to experiment with their shots.

Read the rest of the article here.

Former England captain Beckham has taken part in a video playing padel tennis, the sport that is expanding at a rapid rate in the UK and around the world.

Some of the biggest names in world sport are embracing padel tennis and there is huge momentum behind a sport that has been described as a cross between tennis and squash, played on a court surrounded by a heavy-duty glass that allows players to hit the ball after it bounces back off the wall.

“It’s a sport that I got hooked on very suddenly. I train and have fun at the same time, and doing it in a place like this is fantastic,” the former Real Madrid and Manchester United player told the official Premier Padel channels, among others.

“You can play at any level, whether you’re a child or an adult. It’s growing a lot, even within the clubs I already know many friends and former teammates who are hooked and that’s incredible.”

Read the entire story here: David Beckham unveiled as padel’s latest high profile player (tennis365.com)