Title to Stupaczuk-Yanguas and Ortega-Araujo. Now all to Doha

Franco Stupaczuk, Mike Yanguas, Marta Ortega e Sofia Araujo will have to make more space in their suitcases for Doha for a trophy. The four winners of the Newgiza Premier Padel P2 are in fact all leaving for Qatar, where the lights will be turned on Sunday for the FIP World Padel Championships. The Argentinean and the Spanish will arrive in Doha after their first title of the season, which for Yanguas is also the first in his career on the Premier Padel circuit; for the Spanish and the Portuguese, it is the second in 2024, again in the P2 category, after the one in Genova.

MEN Two years after his success in 2022 paired with Pablo Lima, Franco Stupaczuk is champion again in Newgiza. This time, the Argentinean is partying with Mike Yanguas, who against one of today’s opponents – Javi Garrido – had already reached the final in the Doha Major. In Egypt, the decisive match ended 6-3 7-6 in two hours and two minutes, with ‘Stupa’ conquering the fourth Premier Padel title of his career, the first in 2024 after the two in 2022 (Mendoza and NewGiza, paired with Pablo Lima) and the Doha Major 2023 paired with Martin Di Nenno. For Yanguas, however, it was a beautiful first. Four breaks in the first four games, with the decisive one to give Stupaczuk/Yanguas the first set coming in the eighth game. In the second set, also thanks to yet another great performance by Lucas Bergamini, the number 4 seeded pair remained in the match and, even after suffering the break at 6-5, they cancelled a match point, breaking their opponents and taking the set to the tiebreak, where however Stupaczuk and Yanguas prevailed with the score 7-2 and a closing Yanguas backhand volley. “We had some pressure on us – Stupaczuk commented – but this is a reward for perseverance, for our work. We are very happy and I congratulate Javi and Lucas for the tournament, but also Carlos Pozzoni, who as coach also won the women’s tournament. And I salute Pablo Lima with whom we won here in 2022”. “Winning a Premier Padel title makes a dream come true – Yanguas‘ words –. I hope it’s the first of many titles with Franco, who is the Pharaoh here. We needed time, but we never lacked confidence. We played at an excellent level all week, winning against two great players and against a great friend of mine like Javi”.

WOMEN In the women’s final, nothing to do for Jessica Castelló and Ale Salazar, the number 4 seed, defeated by the number 3 seeded pair with a score of 6-4 6-2 in one hour and 40 minutes. Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo had the first break of the match, soon recovered by Castelló/Salazar. Another break by the Genova P2 champions was decisive in closing out the set, with the Spanish and the Portuguese then taking the lead in the second after being down 2-0, closing with 30 winning strokes against the opponent’s 18, but above all stringing together a series of six consecutive games. For Castelló and Salazar, however, it was the second final lost in a row, after the one in the FIP Platinum in Marbella. “I’m very happy, and I congratulate our whole team – Ortega said – and I also send a kiss to my family. We arrived a week ago with the ambition of making it to the end of the tournament and we did it thanks to the work of Sofia, a lioness. For us it is a dream come true”. “I am also very happy – added Araujo –. We bring home the title after a tough week, which ended in the best way. Marta fought with me throughout the tournament, and that was the key to victory. When we fight together, and we do it smiling, it is easier”.

After the FIP World Padel Championships in Doha, the Premier Padel circuit will return with two consecutive tournaments, the P1s in Dubai (3-10 November) and Kuwait City (9-17 November).