here are the first scores – Graziotti-Sinicropi ok, but what a marathon!
June 21, 2023
The padel show has begun in Krakow. But it’s also time for the marathons. In the morning session of the first round of the men’s draw at the European Games, Italians Giulio Graziotti and Riccardo Sinicropi spent almost three hours on court to defeat Dutchmen Bram Meijer and Stan Franciscus Richters. After losing 6-2 in the first set, the Azzurri faced two match points at 6-5 in the second, before taking the match to the third set by winning the tiebreak and repeating themselves in the deciding set.
Double 6-0 for other italians, Chiara Pappacena and Giulia Sussarello over Azerbaijan’s Samira Aliiyeva and Narmina Baghirova; much more balanced was the game between the Frenchwomen Jessica Ginier Barbier and Lucile Pothier, who in three sets and in almost two hours of play (7-5 4-6 6-2) defeated the Portuguese Catarina Dos Santos and Margarida Fernandes.
Good debut for Adrien Maigret and Benjamin Tison, the number 4 seed in the men’s draw, 6-2 6-2 to Estonians Siim Tuus and Erko Nigula. T
he afternoon session began at 12 noon, with a triumph of flags and colours surrounding the four courts set up in Krakow Main Square.
