Javi Valdes targets another Italian title in Cordenons

From the final in Palermo to another Italian stop on the CUPRA FIP Tour, the FIP Bronze in Cordenons. Antonio “Pincho” Fernandez and Adrian Marques will return to the court this weekend as the top seeds in a 31-pair draw. Potentially awaiting them in the quarter-finals is the talented 17-year-old Facundo Dehnike, fresh from victory at the FIP Bronze in Lanzarote. Alongside the Paraguayan will be another Under-20 player, Marcel Font, finalist at the FIP Bronze in Malta at the end of May. Leading the bottom half of the draw are Thomas Leygue and Javi Valdes, who already claimed the title in Cordenons in 2022 alongside Jose David. Other seeded pairs include Francisco Maier and Luciano Puppo (3), as well as Sergio Nieto and Jaume Romera, the latter having won two CUPRA FIP Tour events — in Miami and Bandol — over the past month.

Julia Polo and Marina Lobo top the women’s draw as they look for their second title together following their triumph in Malta. Second seeds are Britain’s Catherine Rose and Spain’s Alba Vazquez, while among the Italian players, particular attention will be on the very young Matilde Minelli — number one in the European Under-18 FIP Promises Ranking — alongside Camilla Livioni (4). The main draw for both tournaments will begin on Friday, with the finals scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday 21 June.