Paredes, draws revealed: Portugal welcomes the stars of world padel

Twenty-two players from the top 50 of the men’s FIP Ranking and sixteen from the women’s: the stars of world padel are heading to Portugal to compete in the FIP Platinum Lusitania Portugal Padel Masters in Paredes. A total of 28 pairs in both the men’s and women’s draws will take to the court to compete for the 300 ranking points awarded to the winners of the tournament. The main draw will begin on Wednesday 17 and conclude on Sunday 21, when the finals will be played.

 

MEN Three pairs will receive byes into the round of 16: Jose Jimenez-Javi Garcia (3), Aimar Goñi-Edu Alonso (2), and Juan Tello-Maxi Arce (4). The first pair are in the top half of the draw, while the other two pairs are in the bottom half, which also features Iñigo Jofre-Jairo Bautista (5) and Alex Arroyo-Javi Martinez (7); both pairs will begin their campaigns against qualifiers. Also among the leading contenders in the top half are Tino Libaak and Alex Chozas (8), who will face Emilio Sanchez-Alberto Garcia in their opening match.

 

WOMEN Following their victory at the FIP Platinum Albania, Veronica Virseda and Marina Guinart arrive in Portugal aiming to repeat their success in Tirana. The two players are the tournament’s number 1 seeds and are placed in the top half of the draw alongside Jessica Castelló-Lorena Rufo (4). In the bottom half are Carmen Goenaga-Beatriz Caldera (2) and Victoria Iglesias-Aranzazu Osoro (3), winners of the FIP Gold in Almaty at the beginning of April. As in the men’s draw, the top four women’s pairs will start directly in the round of 16. Among the standout first-round matches are Carolina Orsi and Patty Llaguno (5) against Ainize Santamaria-Blanca Arriola Cerrejón, and Lucia Sainz-Jana Montes (6) against Ana Dominguez-Aida Martinez. Sainz won the first FIP Platinum tournament of the year in Marseille in February. Also attracting attention in Paredes is the match between Alix Collombon-Ksenia Sharifova (7) and Natalia Molinilla-Maria Teresa Morinigo.