Day 3: The Melendez are travelling alone: Alvaro in the round of 16 with Gutierrez

A few days before the start of the Greenweez Paris Major Premier Padel, Pedro and Alvaro Melendez decided it was time to turn their careers around. “We both feel we need a space of our own”. The Spanish brothers, who have always been on the same side of the padel ‘pista’, now play with different partners. And if Pedro, paired with Carlos Martì, at Roland Garros was eliminated in the first round, Alvaro‘s adventure in Paris continues. With Cristian Gutierrez, the youngest of the Melendez brothers stopped the run of Alex Chozas and Leo Augsburger, one of the pairs of the moment. Tomorrow, in the round of 16, there will be the number 6 seed Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz.

MEN Day three of the third Major of the season was the debut of defending champions Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, who gave just one game (6-1 6-0) to qualifiers Simone Cremona and Jaime Fermosell. In the round of 16, the number 1 seeded players will face Juan Tello and Inigo Jofre (13). Martin Di Nenno and Juan Lebron beat Fran Ramirez and Rafa Mendez 6-2 6-2 in the evening (duel with Luis Hernandez and Javi Rico in the round of 16), as did Mike Yanguas and Franco Stupaczuk (6-2 6-3) against José Solano Marmolejo and Ivan Ramirez (tomorrow’s match against Mario Del Castillo and Nacho Vilariño). Some more suffering for Pablo Cardona and Paquito Navarro (5): after the double tiebreak they won against Nachi Sager and Salva Oria, they will play Lucho Capra and Maxi Sanchez in the round of 16. On Thursday, Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan (2) will also be back on court, opposing Aris Patiniotis and Jesus Moya not before 8 p.m. on the Philippe Chatrier.

WOMEN The week of the top seeds in the women’s draw also began with a victory: Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez, champions in 2023 at Roland Garros, beat Marta Borrero and Ana Catarina Nogueira with a double 6-2 and in the round of 16 they find Marina Guinart and Victoria Iglesias. Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez beat Noa Canovas and Jimena Velasco with a double 6-1: Thursday’s match against Araceli Martinez and home idol Alix Collombon. Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo (3) after a 6-1 6-2 win over Sofia Saiz and Marina Lobo will face Virginia Riera and Carmen Goenaga; among the most fascinating challenges on Thursday (the programme on the Philippe Chatrier will start at 11 a.m.) is the one between Delfi Brea and Andrea Ustero (4) opposing Ale Alonso (who was Ustero’s partner up to P1 in Madrid) and Jana Montes. Talents on show Roland Garros.