Day 3. Chozas and Augsburger’s masterpiece: the ‘new’ Argentinians in the quarters

Alex Chozas and Leo Augsburger had started playing as a pair in Madrid, but it was in the Rotterdam Premier Padel P1 that they achieved their first major feat. In two hours and 21 minutes, and after losing 6-1 in the first set, the Argentines beat 1-6 7-6 6-4 Martin Di Nenno and Juan Lebron, the number 3 seed in the Dutch draw. An impressive victory, that of Chozas and Augsburger, who now await the challenge in the quarter-finals against Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz (8), who eliminated Alex Arroyo and Sanyo Gutierrez. Also at the top of the draw, Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia (1) are ahead thanks to a 6-3 6-2 victory over qualifiers Javier Martinez and Guille Collado: tomorrow the duel with Alex Ruiz and Javi Garrido, victorious 6-3 6-4 over Tino Libaak and Victor Ruiz. In the bottom half, however, the march of Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan, the number 2 seed, goes on. They advance to the quarters at the end of what was the most awaited match of the day, the one won 6-2 6-2 over Momo Gonzalez and Edu Alonso. Chingotto and Galan will take on Paquito Navarro and Pablo Cardona (5), who qualified for the quarters thanks to a 6-1 6-3 win over Miguel Benitez and Alvaro Cepero. Opening the afternoon session on the centre court at 6 p.m. CET, however, will be the match between Franco Stupaczuk and Mike Yanguas (who needed a third set yesterday to beat Lucho Capra and Maxi Sanchez, 5-7 6-1 6-2) and the pair of Fernando Belasteguin and Juan Tello (7), who after last night’s marathon took only 61 minutes to overcome 6-1 6-4 Aris Patiniotis and Jesus Moya.

WOMEN In the women’s draw, success for Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez (6-0 6-4) over Agueda Perez and Patri Martinez Fortun, which for the number 1 in the FIP ranking means the quarter-final against Veronica Virseda and Aranzazu Osoro (7), ahead 6-3 6-4 over Carolina Orsi and Nuria Rodriguez. Also at the top, the other quarterfinal is between Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno (7-5 6-3 to Bea Caldera and Lorena Rufo) and Alejandra Salazar and Jessica Castelló (6-2 6-3 to Marta Talavan and Julieta Bidahorria). In the bottom half, however, only four games (6-1 6-3) conceded by Gemma Triay and Claudia Fernandez (2) to Martina Calvo and Andrea Ustero: tomorrow’s match against Ksenia Sharifova and Lucia Martinez Gomez (6-3 6-2 to Arruabarrena/Polo). Also at the bottom half, facing Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo (6-2 6-3 to Giorgia Marchetti and Lea Godallier) will be the pair formed by Marina Guinart and Victoria Iglesias, who took advantage of the withdrawal at the beginning of the third set of Teresa Navarro and Claudia Jensen.