Day 1. Barahona-Garcia, what a debut: only three games to Del Castillo-Sager

First results, first emotions at the Allianz Cloud, which opened its doors to the big names in padel. The men’s draw at Milano Premier Padel P1, the last stage of the 2023 circuit, has lined up for the round of 32, the one in which the 16 seeded players will take the stage, between Tuesday and Wednesday. Tomorrow, as the second match of the afternoon session starting not before 6 p.m., the first to take to the court will be Federico Chingotto and Paquito Navarro (4), opposing the Italo-Argentinians Aris Patiniotis and Facundo Dominguez, who defeated 6-2 6-2 the Spaniards Huete Hernandez/Gil in the evening. Among the women, however, here are two of the four strongest pairs on the planet: the number 3 seed, Delfina Brea and Bea Gonzalez, are expected to take on Spain’s Beatriz Caldera Sanchez and Portugal’s Ana Catarina Nogueira not before 6 p.m., while there are great expectations for the italian debut on the Premier Padel circuit of Alejandra Salazar, who forms with Sofia Araujo the number 4 seed and in the third match of the morning session (starting at 10 a.m.) will face Spain’s Marina Martinez Lobo and Sweden’s Carolina Navarro Bjork after missing Major at the Foro Italico last july due to injury. Also on court, among others, Lucas Bergamini and Victor Ruiz, seeded number 9 but finalists in the last edition at the Allianz Cloud.

RESULTS On Day 1 of the Milan Premier Padel P1, which saw the presence of Fabio Fognini, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, the star was the eternal Miguel Lamperti, who at 45 years old – and paired with a talent, José Jimenez Casas, 26 years younger – is having fun and putting on a show. Lamperti and Jimenez defeated the Italians Flavio Abbate and Marco Cassetta in two sets (6-2 7-5), earning themselves a second round all to live for against the ‘Superpibes’ Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno (3). “I always hope his youth can be contagious…”, said the Argentine. Good debut, in the evening, also for Javier Barahona and Javier Garcia, who lost only three games against Mario Del Castillo and Nachi Sager. All three Italian wild cards were out: Giulio Graziotti and Riccardo Sinicropi defeated 6-3 6-4 by Lijo/Cepero, Simone Cremona and Lorenzo Di Giovanni fought for a set against Zapata/Guerrero before losing 7-5 6-1. Also out were the Italo-Argentinian Nicolas Suescun, paired with the Spaniard Victor Mena (6-4 7-6 against Tison/Garcia) and, in the women’s qualifiers, Lorena Vano (beaten 6-2 6-2, with the Spaniard Manquillo Alarza, by Clasca Vidiella/Piltcher). The only success, apart from that of Patiniotis/Dominguez, was that of another Italo-Argentinian, Denis Perino: with the Spaniard Jorge Ruiz, the Italian – number 40 in the FIP ranking – beat the brothers Pedro and Alvaro Melendez Amaya 6-2 6-1.