let’s start: Paraguay and Argentina to beat

Two years after Torreón (Mexico), the FIP Juniors World Padel Championships are back. After yesterday’s grand opening ceremony in Asuncion, from today until Saturday in Paraguay it will be a big event, with more than 400 male and female athletes from all over the world ready to compete for the world titles. A few hours before the parade of all the participating national teams, the rounds of the competition by nations had been drawn: there will be 16 teams at the start in the men’s tournament; fifteen, on the other hand, the women’s national teams on court. Defending champions are Paraguay among the men (with the chance, therefore, of defending the title at home) and Argentina among the women.

Men’s draw

Group A: Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador

Group B: Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Sweden

Group C: Mexico, United States, Spain, Portugal

Group D: Italy, France, Belgium, United Arab Emirates

Women’s draw

Group A: Argentina, Spain, Uruguay

Group B: Brazil, United States, Chile, Sweden

Group C: Mexico, Paraguay, Portugal, Japan

Group D: Italy, France, Ecuador, Egypt

Each ‘tie’ will consist of an Under 14, an Under 16 and an Under 18 match, each of them in the best of three sets with tie-break and golden point. The team winning two matches wins the tie. The top two national teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, with the third and fourth teams still playing for positions from ninth to sixteenth (in the case of men’s) or from ninth to fifteenth (in the case of women’s). In the event of a tie in the group stage, sets won and lost will also count.

In addition to the competition for nations, eight ‘Open’ knockout rounds are scheduled. Boys and girls will compete in the Under 12 (promotional), Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 categories. All the matches of an unforgettable week will be broadcast on the FIP YouTube channel.