Argentine school meets Chilean talent in Iquique clash

There is a strong Argentine presence in the entry list for the men’s FIP Bronze Chile IV in Iquique, where a 28-pair main draw will be played from Friday, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Sunday. Leading the seeding is one of the leading Under 20 prospects, Juani Rubini, this time partnering Francisco Britos, a specialist in Chilean events: from 2023 to 2025, the 24-year-old from Chivilcoy has won three titles in tournaments held in the country, twice in Concepción and once in Talca. On the opposite side of the draw, as second seeds, are another all-Argentine pair, Felipe Calleja and Juan Pablo Dametto. The third and fourth seeds are also Argentine combinations: Franco Dal Bianco with Maximo Maldonado, and Francisco Maier with Luciano Puppo.

Chile will be represented by some of its leading NextGen talents: most notably 16-year-old Mati Jimenez, second in the FIP Promises Americas rankings and winner in April of a stop on the FIP Promises Tour in Chile, in Villarrica. Jimenez will partner compatriot Joaquin Escalona, forming the tournament’s seventh seeds. Alongside Jimenez, attention will also be on 18-year-old Alonso Villavicencio, number one in the continental FIP Promises ranking, alongside Cristobal Molina.