Draw made: Cremona and Cassetta dreaming Lebron/Galan

Emotions guaranteed for the Italian padel fans. The draw for the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel gave two possible games between Italian pairs and the world’s strongest champions. Juan Lebron and Alejandro Galan, the number one seed in the tournament starting on Monday at the Rome’s Foro Italico and exempt from the first round, await reigning Italian champions Marco Cassetta and Simone Cremona or Spaniards Antonio Fernandez and Pablo Cardona. The same fate awaits Lorenzo Di Giovanni and Denny Cattaneo, also wild cards and also in the top half: in case of a success against one of the eight pairs that will also pass the second qualifying round scheduled for Sunday, there would be the striking clash with Fede Chingotto and Paquito Navarro.

At the bottom half, Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno could face Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia in the semifinals. There are also great expectations for legend Fernando Belasteguin, who forms a pair made of two different generations with 21-year-old Miguel Yanguas. Sixth seed in the draw, Bela and Yanguas could face Lebron and Galan in the quarters. The other quarters, in case of prediction respected, could be: Ruiz/Tello-Chingotto/Navarro, Coello/Tapia-Gonzalez/Gutierrez and Silingo/Lima-Stupaczuk/Di Nenno. Making the draw, Italian Giulio Graziotti said: “I am very excited at the thought that I will have so many friends cheering for me – he said –. I don’t know how I can react when I’ll get on the court, I just know that I want to enjoy this experience to the full”.

Among the women, making their debut on the Premier Padel circuit (the draw was made by Alejandra Salazar, out due to injury), Bea Gonzalez and Delfi Brea, who want to counter the dominance of Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaria, ended up right at the top of the draw led by the number ones, with a possible clash in the semifinals. At the bottom, with number two seeded Gemma Triay and Marta Ortega, there are Tamara Icardo and Virginia Riera. Nine Italians are competing, including the Roman Carolina Orsi, gold medal in the women’s doubles at the European Games in Krakow. The Italian player and Patty Llaguno will play against the other Roman player Carlotta Casali and her partner Julia Polo, or against a pair coming from the qualifiers (scheduled for Monday). Orsi/Llaguno are in the eighth of the Sanchez Alayeto twins, pair number 7 on the draw and already beaten by the Italian in 2023. A pair coming from the qualifiers also for Giulia Sussarello and Emily Stellato, with a potential challenge with Virseda/Jensen in the second round. Chiara Pappacena and Giorgia Marchetti will face Spaniards Clasca/Martinez, while wild cards Valentina Tommasi and Caterina Baldi will play against former tennis player Lara Arruabarrena and partner Sara Pujals. Two Spaniards also for Francesca Ligotti and her Portuguese partner Catarina Castro: the De Osso/Rodriguez duo await them.