A challenge between Chile and Argentina
April 18, 2023
It will be a week of great padel around the world. Three FIP RISE events are scheduled, two in Europe (Bordeaux and Gävle) and one in South America. The CUPRA FIP TOUR also lands in Santiago, Chile, for a tournament that will feature 32 pairs in the main draw (of which 26 admitted by ranking, four qualified from a draw of 32 and two wild cards) and a prize money of €6,250.
The Mas Padel Santa Maria will be the venue for an event with an almost total presence of players from Chile and Argentina. The number 1 seeded pair is Cristobal Molina and Cristobal Martinez, world number 173 but who have written a page in the history of local padel in Chile: they were, in fact, the first Chilean pair to win a match in a tournament played outside the country.
It happened last year, at the Premier Padel in Mendoza, and for Molina and Martinez it was an unforgettable feeling. “For us, it was a dream to even play in a tournament of that level in Argentina – said -. Winning a match was incredible”. On the other side of the main draw, as the second seed in the FIP RISE in Santiago, were Argentines Facundo Rodrigo Luis Lopez and Santiago Rolla.
“Today the growth of padel in Chile has been impressive – said Fabian Parolin, chairman of the Federation Chilena de Padel –. There are more clubs and players, that has made the level of championships and demands of the players grow, and the FIP Tour circuit that we have been doing since it began at least two tournaments a year, and with a Star last year, has generated a very great acceptance and expectations of the players. This year we will host five FIP Rise, and Chile which will be one of the countries of America with more FIP tournaments”.
