A high-intensity hour was all it took for Giulia Dal Pozzo to win the all-Italian derby and book her place in the round of 16 at the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1. Dal Pozzo and her partner Nuria Rodriguez took centre stage at the Allianz Cloud, beating fellow Italian Giorgia Marchetti, who was playing alongside Lara Arruabarrena, 6-0 6-3. The 20-year-old from Romagna needed just a few exchanges to settle into the match and impose her game alongside Rodriguez, who was in outstanding form all over the court. They maintained that confidence in the second set, too, as Marchetti and Arruabarrena managed to respond after losing their serve early on before eventually conceding defeat. It was a dream start for Dal Pozzo, who this week reached a career-high position in the FIP Ranking and is now world No. 25. The milestone came during the very week of the Milano P1, the tournament that launched her onto the international stage two years ago. Having entered qualifying with a wild card, Dal Pozzo and her then-partner Caterina Baldi reached the round of 16, beating, among others, former world No. 1 Carolina Navarro. “It’s true, I have a special connection with Milan,” ‘Dalpi‘ said after the match. “This is where I first realised that I could believe in what I was doing and make this sport my life. I’m happy to be here again.”
Another special challenge now awaits Dal Pozzo and Rodriguez. They will return to the court on Thursday to face Argentina’s Aranzazu Osoro, who is partnering Ale Salazar, one of the most successful players in the history of the sport with 58 titles, alongside world No. 1 Gemma Triay. Salazar is a player Dal Pozzo has already beaten twice this year: in the quarter-finals of the Valladolid P2 and in the round of 32 at the Rome Major in June, where Giulia reached another historic semi-final. This time, the occasion will be even more emotional, as the Milano P1 will be Salazar’s last tournament in Italy in what is her final year on tour. It could be Dal Pozzo who brings that ‘last dance’ to an end, although she knows the odds are against her. “They start as favourites, but we’ll give it everything we’ve got. And I’m counting on the Milan crowd to roar us on.”