Marcel Granollers still carries the emotion of the track. He has just won alongside his inseparable Horacio Zeballos, Argentine, and savors the number one achieved in the doubles category. History afternoon at the Caja Mágica. They were before Emilio Sánchez Vicario (1989, for six weeks), his sister Arantxa (11 between 1992 and 1995) and Vivi Ruano (65 between 2003 and 2004); also, although at that time he did not register it ranking because it did not yet exist, Manolo Orantes and Joan Gisbert, winners of the Masters in 1975. So the Catalan gets a slight lump in his throat when asked about his long career, that of a day laborer who lived many days in the shadows. and he ended up reaching the summit, and he simplifies: “Well, I know what it cost me, right?”
The Catalan departs (4-6, 6-2 and 16-14 to Nys and Jan Zielinski, in 1h31) with the humility and pride of the worker, because behind him is a very long professional effort. After sealing his individual route in 2019, with four titles in his backpack -Houston, Gstaad, Valencia and Kitzbühel-, he enrolled in the doubles adventure and, judging by the harvest, it has not gone bad at all. “There is a very long and difficult road ahead, and you have to know how to endure the bad moments to get here,” he answers. Who would have thought: 25 trophies – among them a Masters Cup, in 2012, led by Marc López -, seven Masters 1000 and five finals on the big stages. The thorn, this last one. “I hope it comes, I hope it comes…” he repeats.
And there remain, of course, those three Davis Cups (2008, 2011 2019) and widespread recognition. “Marcel, good guy,” is often heard in the locker room. A purebred worker, the facts confirm. “I’m sure there were people much more talented than me, but I tried my best. I think I had a good individual race [llegó a ser 19º en 2012], and when things were no longer going so well, I opted for doubles. I think it was a good decision,” he says in perspective, knowing that on Monday he and Zeballos will oust the duo formed by the Australian Matthew Ebden and the Indian Rohan Bopanna. Suddenly, a Spaniard at the top of a stage historically dominated by Anglo-Saxons.
“Yes it’s true. Here, in this country, we do not have that vision of doubles, it is not given that importance. But even among the players, eh? There aren’t that many who have dedicated themselves to this. We have a lot of good doubles players, because all those who are currently competing in singles start playing it and are very good, but there is no such figure of the specialist,” he explains. “And in other countries like Great Britain, for example, it does exist because young people do make the bet. There is a culture. It’s another way, right? Here you do more when you are at the end of your career, or when you try it individually and you are not good at it. In the end I specialized, and in the end, thanks to that I have been able to achieve bigger goals,” adds Granollers.
A persevering and happy man progresses in Madrid, who dedicates himself to his family and his brother Gerard, who accompanies him everywhere. He suffers in this outcome on Thursday. “The match was crazy,” summarizes the protagonist of the day in the Caja Mágica, while the name of his friend Zeballos, left-handed, 38 years old, shines in Argentina. Not even the great Guillermo Vilas reached the top. It happens on the second track of the Magic Box. “Yes, get it here [el número uno] makes it more special. In my country, with the court full, with my people…”, closes the Catalan, who this Friday (6:00 p.m., RTVE Play and Movistar+) aspires to enter the final; Opposite will be the Uruguayan Ariel Behar and the Czech Adam Pavlasek. He celebrates Marcel from the top: “It’s an honor.”
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