FIP Platinum Sardegna, the top players win and advance to the quarterfinals

The top players light up the scene at the FIP Platinum Sardegna and are getting ready to enter the most exciting stage of the tournament, with the quarterfinals scheduled for tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. At the Tennis Club of Cagliari, the star is once again the ‘Legend’ Fernando Belasteguin paired with Javi Garrido, who advance to the next round against Fran Ramirez and Victor Mena. As in day 1, it took three sets to prevail: after an easy 6-2 in the first, Ramirez and Mena came back with a 6-4 in the second, then rallied from 2-5 to 5-5 in the third before the decisive move by the top-seeded pair to close out the third set 7-5. The two will be back on the court tomorrow evening against the surprise of the day: newly reunited, Alvaro Cepero and Pablo Lijo defeated Pablo Garcia and Xisco Gil (6-3 7-5), the 8th seeds, in two sets.

TOLITO OUT, MAXI AND LUCHO OK The Sardinian Platinum says goodbye to two of the fans’ favorite athletes: Miguel Lamperti and Tolito Aguirre conclude their first adventure together, losing in 2 sets to 1 against Enrique Goenaga and Juanlu Esbri (6-3 3-6 2-6), also an “experimental” pair in the tournament. A match that filled the stands of court 3, with the audience experiencing the same intensity and engagement as the players on the court. There was a lot of competitiveness on the court – between Tolito’s “Vamos Miguelito!” shouts to pump up Lamperti, and Esbri’s overwhelming growth game by game – making it one of the most thrilling matches so far. And tomorrow, another battle awaits Esbri/Goenaga in the quarterfinals against Gonzalo Rubio and Alex Arroyo, who today overcame the Italians Abbate/Graziotti (6-3 6-4). Another match to follow closely will be between the second-seeded pair, Momo Gonzalez and Edu Alonso (2), against Leal/Campagnolo, while Maxi Sanchez and Lucho Capra (3) will face Guerrero/Garcia.

WOMEN In the women’s draw, the march continues smoothly for Virginia Riera and Carmen Goenaga (1), who in one hour won their match against Barrera/Caparros (6-0 6-4 the final score). The Argentine and the Spaniard will once again open the schedule on the Central court – all the women’s pairs will play in the morning – where they will face Melania Merino and Esther Carnicero. All eyes will also be on court 1, where the most balanced match on paper will take place: on one side, Carolina Orsi and Nuria Rodriguez (5), who today easily defeated Escacena/Lujan (6-1 6-3), and on the other, Ksenia Sharifova and Lucia Martinez (4), who overcame Vano/Polo (6-4 6-2). The third-seeded pair, Marina Guinart and Victoria Iglesias, who today dropped only two games to Cañellas/Navarro (6-1 6-1), will take the court no earlier than 10.30 a.m.; Aranzazu Osoro and Marta Marrero (2) will play again on the Central court against Marina Lobo and Sofia Saiz, after defeating the pair Marchetti/Godallier.