Libaak-Chozas, celebration in Mendoza! Contreras breakthrough: at 16 he will play in Buenos Aires P1

Three gripping sets and five match points were required before closing out the match and securing a third title in a month. Tino Libaak and Alex Chozas won again on the CUPRA FIP Tour, this time at the home FIP Silver in Mendoza, in an all-Argentine final decided on the final points (5–7 7–6 7–6) that lit up the stands of the Polideportivo Gustavo “Torito” Rodriguez. Opposing the 2024 world champions was another legend of Argentine Padel, Maxi Sanchez, alongside Juani Rubini, who also delivered a strong tournament performance and reached a highly impressive semi-final, where they defeated top seeds Victor Ruiz and Sanyo Gutierrez (6–1 6–2).

 

For Libaak and Chozas, who celebrate a third title following their victories at the FIP Silver in Aguascalientes and Nola, the semi-final was as hard-fought (7–5 7–6) as the final itself. Their opponents were two other young Argentine talents, 18-year-old Naím Díaz and, in particular, Santino Contreras, who turns sixteen on 9 May and already won the FIP Bronze in Santa Maria in Brazil last March. Thanks to their performance in the tournament, the pair secured a wild card for next week’s Buenos Aires P1, an outstanding achievement that makes Contreras the second-youngest player ever to compete on the Premier Padel circuit, behind Facundo Dehnike, who played at the P2 in Asunción in 2024 at 15 years and 8 months.

 

 

The weekend also featured a first tribute to one of the most charismatic figures in Argentine padel: Miguel Lamperti played in Mendoza what was his penultimate tournament in his home country, receiving an early and emotional acknowledgement from the crowd ahead of the Buenos Aires P1, where he will say goodbye to fans just months before his retirement.