One of the most special and vibrant weeks of the Premier Padel season has already started, and he has done so by vigorously shaking up the initial forecasts. The Plaza Mayor of Valladolid dresses up to host an unmissable event on the twenty-ten calendar and it does so, as is historically customary in Castilian lands, under extreme heat conditions and a court speed that exponentially favors offensive play. This scenario of pure physical and tactical survival has already resulted in the elimination of several pairs called to fight for everything.
The start of the draw was tragically marked by the premature fall of Jon Sanz and Coki Nieto. The Navarrese was forced to retire due to physical problems in the early stages of the second set, after having lost the first to the great version of Jairo Bautista and Íñigo Jofre. The Spaniards, far from settling for the rout of their debut, have also completed their round of 16 commitment with flying colors to place themselves among the eight best pairs of the week. In the quarterfinals they will face Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, who have landed on a good footing in the ‘King’s’ home tournament. The world number one sealed their pass after dismantling Álex Chozas and Tino Libaak with a firm 6-2 and 6-3.
Mike Yanguas and Franco Stupaczuk celebrating their victory.
Juan Lebron and Leo Augsburger advance on that same side of the painting, who had to put on their work overalls and suffer the unspeakable to defeat the combative Pol Hernández and Guille Collado. In the quarterfinal round they will face a most demanding obstacle: Momo González and Lucas Campagnolo. The Andalusian and the Brazilian advanced their ticket after passing over Juanlu Esbrí and Álex Ruiz, demonstrating an imperial coupling which promises to put the continuity of ‘Lobo’ and the Posadeño in Valladolid in serious trouble.
Those who touched the abyss with their fingertips were Mike Yanguas and Franco Stupaczuk. Manu Castaño and After dodging the bullet, they will meet in the quarterfinals with Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero, a duo that has been displaying an excellent level and that he swept his round of 16 rivals off the court with a double and incontestable 6-1 and 6-1.
For its part, Alejandro Galán and Fede Chingotto also did not fail in their debut as a couple in the tournament. The number two in the ranking easily beat Javi Martínez and Luis Hernández to seal their passport. His next rivals will be Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno, who had to roll up their sleeves to avoid the surprise of the day against the Swede Adem Axelsson and Rodrigo Coello —Arturo’s younger brother—, who had a memorable game cheered by his audience. Despite the scare, The experience of the Sevillian and the Buenos Aires native weighed more on the outcome and they will try to make a splash against Jorge Martínez’s pupils.
Heavy blows in the women’s team
In the women’s team, the Plaza Mayor has witnessed the fall of several projects that aspired to high levels this Sunday. The most famous case has been that of Claudia Fernández and Sofía Araújo, who relived their worst ghosts when they were eliminated against Giulia Dal Pozzo and Nuria Rodríguez, who already became his executioners in the Italy Major in Rome. Despite the fact that the Madrid and the Portuguese started with an advantage on the scoreboard and They came to enjoy several match points to close the match, the strength of the Italian and the Cádiz forced an epic comeback which left the fourth seeds out of combat.
Martina Calvo and Marta Ortega also failed to decipher the direction of their match. The ‘Doctora’ and the Navarrese fell in two sets against Martina Fassio and Marta Borrero, a young duo that arrives on a clear upward trend at this halfway point in the season. Fassio and Eugenio played a superb match in the transitions to certify their access to the quarterfinals by a tight 7-6 and 7-5. On Friday they will face off with Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea with the intention of continuing to stretch their dream in Valladolid, while the rest of the favorite pairs for the throne fulfilled the file without any major problems.
