Day 3. Gonzalez-Cabeza keep the dream alive, Talavan and Castelló to face Paula and Bea

Mariano Gonzalez and Curro Cabeza had already produced a major upset by defeating Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal, but they were not finished. The Paraguayan and the 2007-born Spaniard went one step further, beating Nacho Piotto and Juan Cruz Belluati 6-3 3-6 6-4 to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the London Premier Padel P1 against world number ones Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, who advanced thanks to a 7-6 6-4 victory over Alex Arroyo and José Jimenez. Edu Alonso and Aimar Goñi are the other pair seeded outside the top eight to reach the quarter-finals at Olympia London. The 11th seeds defeated Ramiro Pereyra and José Solano Marmolejo 6-2 6-3 and will now take on Paquito Navarro and Martin Di Nenno. The bottom half of the men’s draw unfolded according to the seedings, although Juan Lebron and Leo Augsburger, who will next face Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz, needed three sets to overcome Juan Tello and Maxi Arce. Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan, after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Alex Ruiz and Javi Garcia, will meet Momo Gonzalez and Lucas Campagnolo.

 

WOMEN Marta Talavan and Jessica Castelló are the surprise package in the women’s quarter-finals. Their 7-5 6-1 victory over Marina Guinart and Ale Alonso earned them a meeting with second seeds Paula Josemaria and Bea Gonzalez, who began their London campaign with the same scoreline against Lucia Martinez and Agueda Perez. Bea Caldera and Carmen Goenaga, more accustomed to reaching the last eight, are the other unseeded pair still in contention after defeating Noemi Aguilar and Letizia Manquillo 6-3 6-0. On Friday, in the second of six matches scheduled on centre court (play starts at 10 a.m. local time, 11 a.m. CEST), they will face Ari Sanchez and Andrea Ustero, who celebrated a 6-4 6-4 win over Martina Fassio and Raquel Eugenio before meeting two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who recently moved from Barcelona to London City Lionesses. The other two quarter-finals follow the seeding, with Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay (1) taking on Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo (5), while Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo (4) face Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen (6), as the tournament heads into its decisive stages.