Once again in the main draw, among the world’s top players. Giorgia Marchetti flew through the final round of the Oysho Milano Premier Padel P1 qualifiers, where alongside French partner Lea Godallier she dominated the decisive match (6-1 6-1) against Emily Stellato and Chiara Pappacena — her teammates in the Italian national squad, with whom she’ll soon head to Spain for the FIP Euro Padel Cup Final 8. It was a special match for the Roman player, facing two rivals she knows so well — she even formed one of Italy’s strongest pairs with Pappacena in past seasons — just a year after winning silver at the European Championships in Cagliari and bronze at the World Championships in Doha.
“I’m super happy to have made it into the main draw. It’s always special to play a big tournament at home, here in Italy. With Léa we immediately found our rhythm again after being apart, and that makes me really happy”, said Marchetti after the match, reflecting on the all-Italian derby. “There’s always a bit of extra tension when I see Italian names next to mine in the draw, especially when it’s friends like Emily and Chiara — we see each other a lot in Rome, even off the court. There’s so much mutual respect. Against foreign opponents you tend to feel freer, even in celebrations. I try to stay focused and not let friendships distract me. But soon we’ll be teammates again for the European Championship, and I’m sure we’ll share the same drive to fight and do well together. We’re a solid group and we all really care.”
That makes three Italian women in the main draw starting tomorrow: alongside Marchetti, all eyes are on Carolina Orsi — world No. 29 — paired with Argentina’s Martina Fassio. Also in the spotlight is young Giulia Dal Pozzo, one of the breakout stars of the 2024 edition, when she came all the way from qualifying to reach the round of 16. This year, she’ll take the court with Sandra Bellver.
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