Australian Padel Squad Takes on Top Players from All Over the World in Las Vegas Tournament
Australia’s newest sports team is headed by Erin Purtle. The Aussies are now sending their own superhero squad to beat the world’s best in Las Vegas Tournament and we couldn’t be more excited!
Erin, now living in Barcelona, Spain, says she never imagined she’d be asked to lead her country’s padel squad.
Padel is a mix between tennis and squash that is mainly played in Europe and the United States. Padel is now one of the world’s fastest-growing sport.
The scoring system and ball from tennis are used, and squash’s speed and characteristic propensity for smashing off walls. It’s been played as a doubles game, much like tennis.
Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican businessman, created the game in 1969 because he wanted a tennis court but didn’t have enough room, so he bought a padel court that was 10 meters by 20 meters.
With a service and an underserved, the rules are pretty similar to those of tennis. The smaller courts and the presence of barriers to bounce the ball off make it considerably more manageable.
Never a boring day stuck in lockdown with padel!
Padel’s popularity skyrocketed due to quarantine, making it the fastest-growing team sport in the country. It’s the best of both worlds: a fun outdoor pastime with the security of a structure. It’s a small niche sport that hasn’t been subject to COVID restrictions.
This is also why people from all over the world are jumping into the padel craze. A non-contact sport with all the fun and makes you sweat off those extra pounds? Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
Australia’s chance for a wildcard
Purtle will represent Australia in the sport unexpectedly after getting a call from the Australian Padel Federation, unable to send a team abroad due to the current coronavirus epidemic.
Purtle has gathered a group of 13 Australian padel players who are presently residing in Spain. The majority of the squad started playing the sport within the last six months.
The squad had hoped to participate in the first Veteran World Padel Championships in Las Vegas next month, but the tournament has been rescheduled until March 2022.
“Every year, they have a wildcard, and Australia has been granted one of these wildcards to play in the global tour for the first time”
Erin Purtle
Damien Harris, originally from Parkes in New South Wales’ Central West, has just lately taken up the sport but is thrilled at the prospect of representing his nation.
“To put it into perspective, it’s like playing a little bit of tennis at school socially, and then all of a sudden you’re across the net from Rafael Nadal,”
Damien Harris
Before you go, check out this video of Pere Valdivieso, founder of Padel in One. He shares his insights into launching some of the first padel courts in Australia, supporting the founding of the Australian Padel Federation, and bringing the sport across the seas from Barcelona.
