Euro Final 8, men’s day2: Dutch upset against France. Second win for Spain, Portugal and Italy

A magical afternoon for the Dutch men’s team at the FIP Euro Padel Cup Final 8. Pablo Moreno’s squad came out on top after a truly memorable battle against France — just hours after the women’s thriller between Belgium and Portugal.From the very start in La Línea de la Concepción, it was clear that the Netherlands vs France clash in Group B was going to be a nail-biter. Sten Richters and Thijs Roper did it again after yesterday’s win over Italy’s Graziotti/Iacovino, this time defeating Benjamin Tison and the young Timeo Fonteny with a clean 6-2 6-3. The intensity only grew in the second match, where Johan Bergeron and Bastien Blanque outlasted De Kroon/Prins in a three-set battle full of drama — all sets decided by tie-breaks (7-6 6-7 7-6) after almost two and a half hours of play. Two key moments stood out: in the second set, France saved four match points; in the third, at 6-2 up in the tie-break, it was the Dutch who mounted a comeback before eventually falling 8-6. But the “Oranje” reacted with outstanding composure. Bart Van Opstal and Menno Nolten sealed the deal with a 7-5 6-2 win, keeping the Netherlands firmly in contention for a semifinal spot.

In the other Group B tie, Italy cruised past Germany 3-0 thanks to victories by Abbate/Montiel, Iacovino/Di Giovanni and Cremona/Cassetta. Tomorrow (not before 3 p.m.), the Azzurri will face the Bleus in a decisive match for a place in the semifinals, while the Netherlands will meet Germany. In Group A, Spain grabbed their second win, led by Gala/Alex Ruiz, followed by Diestro/Esbri and Hernandez/Victor Ruiz. In the other tie, Portugal bounced back from yesterday’s loss to Sweden: the Deus brothers defeated Loughlan/Harris (6-7 7-5 7-6), and Oliveira/Graça clinched the overall win with a 6-1 6-4 over Patacho/Mohindra. The final match saw Perry/Fazendeiro take on Jones/Medina Murphy (7-6 7-6).