Who knows if they’ll be able to sleep tonight, just hours away from the most important day of their careers. Caterina Baldi and Giulia Dal Pozzo are gearing up for another dream moment at the Milano Premier Padel, in the heart of the Allianz Cloud. Starting as complete underdogs – their journey began with a wild card for the qualifiers – they’ve fought their way through, match by match, into the main draw and now the Round of 16 in one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments.
A few days ago, such a result would have seemed unimaginable. Now, the Emilia-Romagna duo is preparing to face two of the greatest players of all time: Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno, both legends of the sport and former world number ones. Adding to the intrigue, Marcela Ferrari, the coach of the Spanish pair, will be watching from the sidelines. Ferrari, who also serves as the coach for Italy’s men’s and women’s national teams, had words of praise for Baldi and Dal Pozzo after Sainz and Llaguno’s match: “It’s going to be an exciting match for sure. I’m here in Milan as the coach of Patty and Lucia, and my focus is fully on them. But as the national team coach, it’s only natural for me to keep an eye on Dal Pozzo and Baldi. It’s especially important that two Italian players gain international experience at this level, and from the perspective of Italian padel, that’s a huge positive”.
For Baldi, 27, born in Reggio Emilia but now based in Imola, and Giulia – born in 2005, daughter of San Marino tennis player Francesca Guardigli, who trains in Riccione – the anticipation is high. Wednesday was their first rest day since the start of the tournament, giving them time to relax in the stands at the Allianz Cloud and process the whirlwind of emotions. “We’re slowly starting to realize what we’ve achieved, and we’re so happy”, said Baldi in a live interview with Alessandro Lupi on SkySport24. “We didn’t even imagine we’d win the first match (against Carolina Navarro, another padel legend), so we just enjoyed it, knowing we had nothing to lose. We’ve had so much fun, and this dream is becoming reality.” Dal Pozzo added: “The idea of playing in a tournament at this level this year seemed almost impossible. Then suddenly, three wins came one after the other, and I’m thrilled to be playing in the Round of 16.”
Their goal now? “We just want to enjoy it and have fun, while giving our best as always – especially since we’re up against such incredible players.”
Meanwhile, another veteran Italian star, Carolina Orsi, will also compete in the Round of 16 at the Milano Premier Padel. Paired with Nuria Rodriguez, Orsi will face Aranzazu Osoro and Veronica Virseda, who today defeated Sara Ruiz Soto and Carmen Goenaga (7-5, 6-1).