Ooredoo Qatar Major, day 4: Eternal Salazar: with Icardo beats Brea-Gonzalez, it’s semifinal
March 6, 2024
As happened yesterday for the men’s draw, also from the women’s draw after the quarters there is one certainty: the final of the Ooredoo Major Premier Padel in Doha will not be the same as the Riyadh Season P1. Thanks to Alejandra Salazar and Tamara Icardo, the number 5 seed, who defeated Delfi Brea and Bea Gonzalez at the end of a beautiful match. The number 2 seeded players had started off better, ending the first set with a score of 6-2, before suffering the return of their opponents, who, after taking the match to the deciding set, dominated it by closing 2-6 7-5 6-1 in two hours and 14 minutes. Contending for a place in the final for Salazar/Icardo will be one of the new pairs that debuted in Qatar in this week, that of Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez (3), who defeated 6-1 6-3 Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno. At the top of the draw they will face Ari Sanchez/Paula Josemaria (1) (double 6-3 to Castelló/Jensen) and Marta Ortega/Veronica Virseda (4) (6-2 6-0 to Sharifova/Carnicero).
MEN In the men’s draw, after Tuesday’s feat in the round of 16, the march of Mike Yanguas and Javi Garrido (10) continued: a 7-5 6-4 win over Arroyo/Alonso (14) brought the two Spaniards to play a great semi-final against the ‘Superpibes’ Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno (3), who won 6-3 6-3 against Chingotto/Gonzalez (5). In the bottom half, however, Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia (2) lived up to predictions, just one match away from their second final in two Premier tournaments in 2024: no chance for Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz (9), defeated 6-2 6-2 after an impressive performance (only 50 minutes). In the semifinals, Coello and Tapia will face Paquito Navarro and Sanyo Gutierrez (4), who after suffering in the round of 16 against Rico/Esbri defeated Cardona/Ruiz in two sets (6-4 6-4).
On Thursday the programme on the Doha Centre court will start at 15.30 local time (13.30 CET): Triay/Fernandez will open against Salazar/Icardo, then Yanguas/Garrido against Stupaczuk/Di Nenno. They will be followed by Sanchez/Josemaria against Ortega/Virseda and Navarro/Gutierrez against Coello/Tapia.
