Ahead without problems. The Milano Premier Padel P1 round of 16 lived up to expectations: all the strongest pairs qualified for the quarters, with the exception of Fernando Belasteguin and Mike Yanguas, who were forced to withdraw due to a elbow injury which created problema to ’Bela’ also in the previous weeks. “We are sorry not to be able to play, we were training very well – his words -. I’m so sad, but when these things happen you can’t do anything about it”. An emotional press conference (https://www.milanopremierpadel.com/en/belas-withdrawal-and-mikes-tears-2024-will-be-my-last-year/), in which the Argentine also announced that 2024 will be his last year on the circuit. But what will start at 9.30 a.m. on the Allianz Cloud Centre Court will be an unmissable Friday.
MEN On the day of the Allianz Cloud tribute to another legend like Juan Martin Diaz (https://www.milanopremierpadel.com/en/juan-martin-diaz-in-milan-as-former-legend-for-the-first-time-padel-is-changing-and-has-a-great-future-ahead-of-it/) Ale Galan and Juan Lebron took only 44 minutes to defeat ‘Pincho’ Fernandez and Gonzalo Rubio. “Before thinking about the title, we have to hope to repeat in the quarters the same level expressed today”, explained Galan, who will be on the court tomorrow (fourth match) against Rafa Mendez and Javi Rico. The run of Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia also continues, hunting for their fourth Premier title in a row in this incredible 2023: with 6-4 6-4 to Nieto/Sanz (10) they have earned the challenge against Momo Gonzalez and Javi Garrido (7). The first quarter-final (second match scheduled on the Centre Court) will be the most balanced: on one side Fede Chingotto and Paquito Navarro – 6-3 6-2 to Lucas Bergamini and Victor Ruiz, finalists in 2022 –, number 4 seed (https://www.milanopremierpadel.com/en/paquito-plays-the-pala-chingotto-navarro-into-the-quarterfinals-brea-gonzalez-dominant-stellato-casali-out/), on the other Alex Ruiz and Juan Tello (6), with the latter sharing the ‘pista’ with Navarro until a few months ago. Also ok were Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno (3) who, after suffering yesterday against Lamperti/Jimenez, came through in two sets (6-4 6-3) with Munoz/Bautista. The ‘Superpibes’, in the quarters, cross Teodoro Zapata and Francisco Guerrero, who took advantage of Belasteguin/Yanguas’ withdrawal.
WOMEN Seven of the eight seeds in the women’s draw have reached the quarter-finals. After the first-round exit of Triay/Ortega, the other two ‘parejas’, who have already won a Premier Padel title this season, played an impressive match. Paula Josemaria and Ari Sanchez, the number one seed and winners in Paris, were on court for only 53 minutes before closing 6-0 6-1 against Nuria Rodriguez and Marta Talavan. https://www.milanopremierpadel.com/en/josemaria-sanchez-and-galan-lebron-both-n-1-pairs-in-quarterfinals/); it took Delfina Brea and Bea Gonzalez seven less to defeat Clasca Vidella/Piltcher with a double 6-0. It will be the Argentine and the Spaniard, the tournament’s third seed, who will open the programme against another Argentine-Spanish pair, that of Claudia Jensen Sirvent and Veronica Virseda (8), who broke the dream of Italians Carlotta Casali and Emily Stellato. Sanchez/Josemaria, on the other hand, will feature in the third match against Tamara Icardo and Maria Virginia Riera (5). Alejandra Salazar and Sofia Araujo (6-0 6-4 to Barrera/Merino) also goes on the quarter-finals: tomorrow, the duel with Patty Llaguno and Lucia Sainz (7), who defeated the other Italian still in the draw, Carolina Orsi paired with Carla Mesa. In the evening, to close an extraordinary day, the quarter-final with the only non-seeded players: that between Jessica Castelló and Aranzazu Ozoro (6) and Carmen Goenaga/Lucia Martinez, who – before defeating Canovas Paredes/Velasco Posteguillo – had surprised Marta Ortega and Gemma Triay.