Just over an hour on court and only three games conceded. Martina Calvo and Claudia Fernandez were unstoppable against Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo. In the quarter-finals of the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1, the No. 4 seeds secured a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory, reaching the semi-finals for the sixth time in the six tournaments they have played together since late July. It is further confirmation of the remarkable progress made by two outstanding young talents – Calvo is 18 and Fernandez 20 – who have quickly established themselves among the four leading pairs of the season. In less than three months, they have already won two titles, in London and Düsseldorf last week, and reached two more finals, in Pretoria at their debut tournament and at the Paris Major in early September. Their run of results has been exceptional, but they remain grounded. “We don’t see ourselves as the best. We’re just trying to go as far as possible and keep improving”, Calvo reiterated after the match. Next up is the Allianz Cloud Centre Court, where the Spanish pair will make their first appearance of the week. Standing in their way are No. 2 seeds Paula Josemaria and Bea Gonzalez, who also made a flying start today against Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen, taking the first set 6-1 before their opponents retired due to a physical issue affecting Icardo. Saturday at 6 pm will bring another chapter in a head-to-head rivalry that has already produced some of the season’s finest matches. The record currently stands at three wins for Calvo-Fernandez and two for Josemaria-Gonzalez, including the Spanish pair’s victory in Germany last Saturday after more than three hours of play and three fiercely contested sets.
“We’re doing well, but reaching one or two finals doesn’t make us the best of all“, Calvo continued. “I think we’re very close to the other pairs, such as Paula and Bea, Gemma Triay and Delfi Brea, and Ari Sanchez and Andrea Ustero. The level is similar, and we have to stay realistic”. Martina’s maturity and personality are also evident on court, where she makes her energy felt vocally as well. “I try to make up for my lack of experience with my character. I tend to talk more and express myself during matches, but that doesn’t mean I care more about winning than Claudia does. That’s just how I am”. Josemaria and Gonzalez are also ready for another chapter in the rivalry. The two pairs crossed paths in the corridors of the Allianz Cloud just minutes after their respective matches, exchanging a few words and sharing a laugh. “We’ve played against them a lot already, so we know it’s going to be a very demanding match”, the No. 2 seeds said. “We’ll approach it with enthusiasm and the desire to keep improving. It will certainly be a long, tough match, just like the one in Germany. They’re playing really well, so we’ll have to raise our level even further if we want to reach the final”.