P1000: Saint-Pée semis set up open final

The P1000 Central Sport Club in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle played its semi-finals on Sunday morning. After two high-level and very different matches, the final pairing is set: second seeds Iznasi and Rubio face fourth seeds Durban and Brechemier. Both pairs reached the title match in their own way – one through tight statistics and break efficiency, the other through a dramatic three-set thriller decided in a tie-break.

The P1000 label draws strong pairs to the Basque venue, and both semi-finals underlined why this event carries weight on the French padel circuit with contrasting but equally compelling storylines.

Rubio and Iznasi beat Fabas and Sarrat

In the first semi-final, Iznasi and Rubio as second seeds met third seeds Julen Fabas and Elio Sarrat. The local Fabas and his partner from Bordeaux had to work hard in a match that looked balanced from the start and in which neither team held control for long.

The scoreline reflects the nature of the contest: an extremely tight encounter where almost every point counted. The statistics underline that picture. Both pairs won exactly 70 points – a rare balance showing how small the margins were on court. The match was decided not by dominant phases but by details in key moments.

Those details favoured Iznasi and Rubio. In decisive rallies the favourites looked more realistic and consistent. They converted three of four break points while Fabas and Sarrat used only two of eight chances. In such a balanced match, that conversion rate is a clear quality marker because it shows pressure is turned into points.

Error management was another factor. Iznasi and Rubio made 21 direct faults, Fabas and Sarrat 26. Five extra unforced errors may look marginal in a comfortable match; with perfect point parity they often decide semi-finals. The winners stayed composed when it mattered most.

For Fabas and Sarrat, despite defeat, the week remains respectable. As third seeds they proved they belong at this level and gave the crowd in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle a tight battle. Iznasi and Rubio head into the final knowing they make the right calls under pressure.

Durban and Brechemier survive the thriller

The second semi-final offered a different spectacle. Durban and Brechemier faced Lefevre and Chouchaoui, who had already beaten top seeds Mannarino and Cazes-Carrère in the quarter-finals. The stakes were not only a final place but whether the surprise pair could continue their run.

Durban and Brechemier started strongly and took the first set 6-2. The match seemed to tilt their way until Lefevre and Chouchaoui fought back and won the second 7-5. Everything was open again and tension in the stands rose sharply.

The third set became a real nerve battle. Neither pair could pull away; rallies grew longer and decisions harder. Only in the tie-break did the fourth seeds find clarity and win 6-2, 5-7, 7-6. It was a match decided as much mentally as technically.

For Durban and Brechemier the win was especially valuable because they did not panic after losing the second set. They kept their game plan, accepted the fight-back and stayed focused in the decisive phase. That kind of victory builds confidence and shows they find solutions in extreme situations – useful ahead of the final.

Lefevre and Chouchaoui leave with the respect earned by a quarter-final upset over the number one seeds. Their semi-final effort was combative and entertained until the last point. Their run remains one of the defining stories of this P1000 weekend.

Sunday final live on Padel Mag TV

The final therefore pits Iznasi and Rubio against Durban and Brechemier. Two pairs who took different paths: the second seeds with statistical precision in the semi-final, the fourth seeds with a dramatic three-set win after a mental battle. Both have shown high level all week and go into the title match with genuine chances.

Fans not on site in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle can follow the match live on Padel Mag TV. Start time is 2 p.m. The final is one of the weekend highlights in French padel and can be streamed internationally.

The P1000 Central Sport Club has already shown why this event is valued on tour: close matches, strong stats, surprises and a final between two in-form pairs. Whether Iznasi and Rubio confirm their favourite status or Durban and Brechemier crown their dramatic run with the title will be decided in a single match on Sunday afternoon.