Coello and Tapia stretch their world No. 1 lead heading into Valladolid

Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia sit alone at the top of the FIP men's ranking, and their grip only tightened this month. The latest list, dated June 22, has the pair tied on 21,623 points, almost 4,000 clear of Alejandro Galan and Federico Chingotto.

How they got here

The cushion grew in Valencia. Coello and Tapia won the Valencia P1 on June 14, beating Galan and Chingotto 6(4)-7, 6-1, 7-6(6) in a final they looked set to lose. They trailed 5-1 in the deciding tiebreak before reeling off the last points to take it. That title came a week after their Italy Major win in Rome, a second straight trophy against the same rivals.

What's next

There's no rest. The Oysho Valladolid P2 is already underway, running June 22-28, with Coello and Tapia seeded first and handed a bye into the second round. Galan and Chingotto, third on 17,626 points, need a deep run here and a slip from the leaders to start closing the gap. On current form, neither looks likely.