Mutua Madrid Open 2024: Marcel Granollers, “worker” at the top of the doubles: “I know what it cost me” | Tennis | Kinds of sports
Marcel Granollers still conveys the emotions of the track. He has just won with his inseparable Argentinian Horacio Ceballos and is enjoying his first achievement in the doubles category. History day at Caja Magica. They were Emilio Sánchez Vicario (1989, for six weeks), his sister Arantxa (11 years old between 1992 and 1995) and Vivi Ruano (65 years old between 2003 and 2004); also, although this was not recorded at the time rating because it didn’t exist yet, Manolo Orantes and Joan Gisbert, winners of the Masters in 1975. That’s why the Catalan gets a slight lump in his throat when asked about his long career as a day laborer who spent many days living in the shadows. and eventually he reaches the top, and simplifies: “Well, I know what it cost me, right?”
The Catalan leaves (4-6, 6-2 and 16-14 to Nis and Jan Zielinski, after 1 hour 31 minutes) with the humility and pride of a worker, because behind him there is a very long professional work. Having charted his individual itinerary in 2019 with four titles in his backpack – Houston, Gstaad, Valencia and Kitzbühel – he signed up for the pair’s adventure and, judging by the harvest, it hasn’t gone bad at all. “It’s a very long and difficult road ahead, and you have to be able to survive the bad times to get here,” he replies. Who would have thought: 25 trophies, including the 2012 Masters Cup under Mark Lopez, seven Masters 1000 and five finals on big stages. Thorn, the last one. “I hope it happens, I hope it happens…” he repeats.
And, of course, those three Davis Cups remained (2008, 2011, 2019) and universal recognition. “Marcel, a good guy,” is often heard in the locker room. A thoroughbred worker, the facts confirm it. “I’m sure there were people much more talented than me, but I tried my best. I think I had a good individual race (I was 19th in 2012) and when things didn’t go so well I opted for the pairs race. I think it was a good decision,” he says with perspective, knowing he and Ceballos will oust the duo formed by Australian Matthew Ebden and Indian Rohan Bopanna on Monday. Suddenly the Spaniard found himself at the top of an arena historically dominated by the Anglo-Saxons.
“Yes, it’s true. Here in this country there is no such concept of doubles, it is not given such importance. But even among the players, right? There are not many who devote themselves to this. We have a lot of good doubles players, because that everyone who plays singles now is starting to play it and is very good, but there is no specialist figure,” he explains. “And in other countries, such as the UK, for example, it exists because young people are betting. . There is a culture. It’s a different path, right? This is where you do more when you’re at the end of your career or when you try something individually and it doesn’t work out for you. In the end, I specialized and was able to achieve great things because of it.” Granollers adds.
In Madrid there is a persistent and happy man who devotes himself to his family and his brother Gerard, who accompanies him everywhere. He suffers from this outcome on Thursday. “The match was crazy,” sums up the man of the day on Caja Mágica, while the name of his friend Ceballos, a southpaw, 38, shines in Argentina. Even the great Guillermo Vilas did not reach the top. This happens on the second track of Magic Box. “Yeah, getting this product here (number one) makes it more special. In my country, with a full court, with my people…” concludes the Catalan, who this Friday (18:00, RTVE Play and Movistar+) claims to reach the final; Opposite will be Uruguayan Ariel Behar and Czech Adam Pavlasek. Marcel celebrates from above: “It’s an honor.”
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