FIP Platinum Sardegna: Orsi Triumphs with Rodriguez, Marrero/Osoro Defeated in Three Sets

A marathon of 2 hours and 42 minutes for the first Italian victory in a major international tournament, the FIP Platinum Sardegna. Carolina Orsi wins in Cagliari paired with Spain’s Nuria Rodriguez, defeating the number 2 seeds, Marta Marrero and Aranzazu Osoro, 6-2 6-7 6-3. The decisive match at TC Cagliari started well for Orsi and her partner, who immediately broke and then led 2-0, setting the direction for the set, which ended at 6-2. Rodriguez was the star, tirelessly running all over the court with Orsi ready to land the decisive blow, amid several errors from their opponents. However, the second set took a different turn: Marrero/Osoro led 4-1 before Orsi/Rodriguez made a comeback, then at 5-all, the Italian missed a chance to regain the lead with an off-target smash, perhaps hindered by the setting sun. This led to a hard-fought tiebreak, but even a comeback from 3-6 to 6-6 by Carolina and Nuria was thwarted by “Zazu” and Marta. The setback could have been significant, but at 1-1 in the third set, the Italian-Spanish duo secured a crucial break, allowing them to manage the match until the final push. After missing the first two match points, the victory came at deuce in the ninth game, a “punto de oro” that had never been so precious for the pair.

EMOTIONS “I want to thank the Cagliari crowd”, said a moved Carolina at the end of the match. “It’s my first major international title in the circuit, and I am very excited and happy to have won here in Italy. I will stay here another week for the FIP European Padel Championships, and wearing the blue jersey is a special adventure for me”. She added: “Congratulations to the ‘Viking’ and Marta Marrero, who returned after a year and a half and played a great final. I also thank Nuria, who runs a lot, sometimes even for me, and played another incredible match”. A feeling confirmed by Rodríguez, who achieved her best result since winning the FIP Star in Perugia last year: “Carolina makes everything easy; it had been a long time since I had so much fun on the court. It has been a tough season, especially at the beginning, with many injuries, so I also thank my entire team for always supporting me”.