Araújo and Ustero Showcase Their Offensive Firepower to Become the First Semifinalists at the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals

The Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals 2025 are officially underway. In a Palau Sant Jordi dressed for the occasion, Sofía Araújo and Andrea Ustero and Marta Ortega and Tamara Icardo opened the final tournament of the season. And it was the Spanish-Portuguese duo who delivered a statement performance, becoming the first pair to secure a semifinal spot on Saturday after winning by a double 6-1.

From the very first points, the duo coached by Pablo Aymà adapted better to the stage. An early break set the tone, and not only did they protect it throughout the opening set, they built on it with relentless pressure. Serving at 5-1, they absorbed Ortega and Icardo’s last push before closing the set with authority.

The second set began even more emphatically. Dominating the net and dictating with their aggressive shotmaking, Araújo and Ustero broke again immediately, then extended their lead with a second break to head to the first bench break with a commanding 3-0 advantage.

Despite struggling to find their best rhythm, Ortega and Icardo continued to fight on every point. They pushed games to deuce and tried to disrupt the pace, yet the level on the other side of the net remained too high. Araújo, the standout player of the match, delivered 15 winners in just over an hour – a figure that dwarfed the seven from Ustero and the two and five from Ortega and Icardo.

A fifth break moved the scoreboard to 5-1 and set the stage for the final blow. Ortega and Icardo saved one match point through sheer resilience, but Araújo – “the Lioness of Lisbon” – produced a brilliant retrieval from outside the court to earn a second chance. This time, they made it count, sealing a dominant win and an emphatic start to their Finals campaign.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Araújo and Ustero expressed their joy after the resounding victory on a court that played “very, very slow”, a condition “not exactly what we like most”, as Araújo noted. She highlighted how proud she felt of the way they “managed a very emotional match”.

Ustero, playing her first-ever match at the Tour Finals, also shared her excitement: “I’m so happy to win my first Finals match at home, with the people who are always there – when things go well and when they don’t.”

A dream start for the Barcelona pair, who now await their semifinal opponents as the Finals continue at the iconic Palau Sant Jordi.