Puerto Cabello P2, day 1. Libaak and Augsburger, the young Argentinians make their mark

Padel very close to the sea. Few places in the world can have a more fascinating location than Puerto Cabello (Venezuela), where the main draw for the first P2 (category introduced by FIP and Premier Padel for 2024) of the season has begun. While waiting for the world’s best players, who arrived directly from Acapulco and are ready to take the court, there are several pairs that showed themselves off on the first day of the main draw. The very young Tino Libaak and Leandro Augsburger, one 18 years old, the other 19, are very well spoken about, and in Puerto Cabello it was once again clear why: the two Argentine talents defeated 6-4 5-7 6-4 Edu Alonso and Alex Arroyo, going to the round of 16 against Yanguas/Garrido (finalists in Doha) or Semmler/Lijo. The two seeds who have already made their debuts were ahead: Bergamini/Ruiz (8) were leading 6-2 5-2 before Patiniotis/Dominguez withdrew, Nieto/Sanz (7) needed three sets (4-6 6-2 7-5) against Cardona/Ruiz. Today the debut of Coello/Tapia (1, against Gil/Gutierrez, second match in the Dracu Rider Stadium) and the new pairs Chingotto/Galan (3, against Valdes/Mendez) and Lebron/Gonzalez (4, against Quilez/Bueno), but also that of Stupaczuk/Di Nenno (2, against Alba/Marcos).

WOMEN In the women’s draw, the feat of the day was that of Noa Canovas and Jimena Velasco, who defeated Aranzazu Osoro and Carmen Goenaga, the number 8 seed, with a double 6-4. Canovas, who will turn 20 on 23 April, is one of the young up-and-comers in world padel, and in padel she has also found love: her partner, Pol Hernandez Alvarez, won three CUPRA FIP Tour tournaments in this early 2024, on three different continents, with titles in Alicante, Santiago and Dubai. Today the first round will be completed: awaiting the debut, directly in the round of 16, of the four highest seeds, Jessica Castelló and Claudia Jensen (6), after their triumph in Acapulco, will be back to the court. Their P2 match in Puerto Cabello will start at 16.30 local time (21.30 CET) against Marta Talavan and Nuria Rodriguez.