In Abidjan heart and character prevail as Garrido–Bergamini and Martinez–Lujan claim titles

Two hours and 21 minutes of play, three sets, and a tie-break to complete the journey. Javi Garrido and Lucas Bergamini claimed their first title as a pair in Ivory Coast, at the FIP Gold in Abidjan, at the end of a match contested until the very last point against Juan Tello and Maxi Arce, fresh from their victory at the FIP Platinum in Paredes and among the most in-form pairs of recent weeks. The top seeds achieved their objective after a contest that at times became highly challenging, partly due to an ankle injury suffered by the Spaniard.

 

In a packed Centre Sportif, Culturel et des TIC Ivoiro-Coréen, the head-to-head had started well for Javi and Lucas, who secured the opening set 6-3 after just over half an hour of play. Then, with the score at 2-2 in the second set, Garrido collapsed to the ground following an attempt to recover at the net, with his right ankle twisting unnaturally. After receiving medical treatment, the world number 20 in the FIP Ranking was able to return to the court, but Arce and Tello looked significantly sharper and levelled the match with another 6-3 set. The top seeds then responded, with Garrido rediscovering his rhythm thanks in part to Bergamini’s support, until the tie-break finally broke the deadlock and secured the title after defeats in the finals of the FIP Platinum in Marseille and the FIP Silver in Dubai. “I have to thank my partner,” Garrido said after the victory. “I thought about retiring, but thanks to him I was able to finish the match. We are extremely proud of our performance. I thank the crowd who came to support us; it has been a fantastic week.”

 

In the women’s draw, it was the number two seeds who prevailed in the final that opened the last day of the tournament. Like Garrido/Bergamini, Araceli Martinez and Laura Lujan also won in three sets (6-3 1-6 6-4) against the top seeds, Noa Canovas and Laia Rodriguez. Lujan therefore moves to 14 CUPRA FIP Tour titles, alongside Nati Lopez Diaz and Patri Martinez. For the 21-year-old from Seville, however, this was her first FIP Gold title, although not her first victory in Ivory Coast: “I feel at home here now. This is the third time I’ve come here and it feels like being with family,” said Laura, who won a FIP Silver in Abidjan in 2025 and reached the final there last April. It was also Martinez’s first FIP Gold title: “It’s my first time here, so I will always remember winning such an important tournament in Abidjan.”