Day5: France-Italy set for a big Mixed semi-final clash

From the women’s draw to the men’s competition, with the Mixed event now joining the action. It will be France-Italy once again at the XX Mediterranean Games in Taranto, following Italy’s Orsi-Marchetti’s quarter-final victory on Tuesday and the men’s clash scheduled for Wednesday evening between Flavio Abbate/Alvaro Montiel and Bastien Blanqué/Dylan Guichard. Guichard, France’s number 1, has reached the Mixed semi-finals alongside European runner-up Louise Bahurel, who was defeated by Orsi and Marchetti yesterday but bounced back immediately to make her mark today. The French pair sealed a two-set victory (6-1 6-4) over Slovenia’s Simon Javoršek and Tina Lah, following an irresistible start and their opponents’ comeback in the second set, before pulling away late to secure a place in the tournament’s top four and bring the dream of a medal ever closer.

 

In Thursday’s semi-final, starting at 10 CEST, Guichard and Bahurel will face the tournament’s number 2 seeds, Giulia Dal Pozzo and Marco Cassetta, who were dominant in their 6-0 6-0 victory over Kosovo. “Against France, we’ll have to give everything we’ve got,” Cassetta said after the match. “We’ll face two very strong opponents: Bahurel is very young but she is already France’s top prospect, while Dylan is a former partner of mine and I know him very well, so I know what he is capable of.”

 

At the top of the draw, meanwhile, Portugal’s Sofia and Pedro Araújo will take centre stage. The Portuguese pair, the number 1 seeds, will face surprise package Greece, represented by Pavlos-Louis Balafas and Christina-Styliani Ntanou. Here too, the appointment is at 10 CEST on the Central Court at Parco del Mediterraneo Salinella.