Day 5. First the finals, then in Doha for the FIP World Padel Championships

The atmosphere of the FIP World Padel Championships is already in the air. Before flying on to Doha, however, four pairs are in the hunt for the title in the Newgiza Premier Padel P2. Franco Stupaczuk and Mike Yanguas (1) against Javi Garrido and Lucas Bergamini (4) among the men; Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo (3) against Jessica Castelló and Ale Salazar (4) among the women, in a schedule starting at 4.30 local time, 3.30 p.m. CET. After the finals in Egypt, it will be time for many to leave for Qatar. If Stupaczuk (already champion in Newgiza in 2022 paired with Pablo Lima) wants a double under the Pyramids and Yanguas, Garrido and Bergamini are looking for their first career title in the Premier Padel circuit, among the women Salazar wants the first trophy of 2024: for Ortega/Araujo, champions in the P2 in Genova, and Castelló (who triumphed in Acapulco with Jensen) it would be the second.

MEN In one hour and 16 minutes, Franco Stupaczuk and Mike Yanguas brought home the first semifinal of the men’s draw, leaving only four games to Momo Gonzalez and Edu Alonso. It ended 6-2 6-2 for the number 1 on the draw, who will be able to make an assault on the first title in 2024: if Stupaczuk had the final in the P2 in Sevilla as his best result, Yanguas will be playing a Premier Padel circuit title for the second time this season after losing in the Doha Major to Coello and Tapia. Yanguas lost the final in Qatar paired with Javi Garrido, who in the second semi-final won in a comeback paired with Lucas Bergamini with a score of 4-6 6-2 6-1 over Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz. In any case, there will be two new names on the 2024 roll of honour.

WOMEN The final of the women’s draw, however, will not see either the number 1 or number 2 seeded pair on the court. Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez were stopped in two sets (6-4 6-3) by Jessica Castelló and Ale Salazar. Triay and Fernandez, winners of four titles in 2024, had recovered a break behind in the first set, only to lose serve again in the 10th game. In the second set, however, it was Castelló/Salazar who regained a break, closing 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 53 minutes. The first semi-final had lasted two hours and 34 minutes, with a comeback victory for Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo: the number 3 seed, after losing a hard-fought first set at the tiebreak, managed to come back and overcome Aranzazu Osoro and Veronica Virseda with a score of 6-7 6-2 6-1.