Men’s Day5: Italy secure the final and a medal with an ‘Azzurro’ derby, Portugal-Spain in the other semi-final

Flavio Abbate-Alvaro Montiel or Simone Iacovino-Marco Cassetta. Italy will contest the first-ever men’s padel final at the Mediterranean Games. Both pairs ended Day 5 at the Parco Mediterraneo Salinella in Taranto with victories in front of a sold-out crowd: Abbate and Montiel (3) defeated the French pair Dylan Guichard-Bastien Blanque (6-2 6-4), while Cassetta-Iacovino (6) overcame the Egyptians Georges Wakim-Youssef Hossam (6-4 6-2), who had produced the upset of the week by defeating No. 1 seeds Pol Hernandez-Guille Collado in the round of 16.

 

The other semi-final will feature Spaniards David Gala-Jose Antonio Diestro (2), both 2025 European champions, against Portuguese brothers Nuno and Miguel Deus (4). In the two quarter-finals played yesterday, the former defeated Pedro Araujo-Pedro Graça (7-6 6-4), while the latter overcame the French pair Timeo Fonteny-Yoan Boronad (6-3 6-4). Should Gala reach the final, he could face Abbate and Montiel, the same pair he played against in last July’s FIP Silver Alcala de Guadaira (Spain) final, where the Italians emerged victorious. The Deus brothers will be able to rely on their understanding, having already played together as a pair in the past.

 

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE With Day 5 now complete, the men’s semi-final line-up in Taranto is confirmed. Tomorrow, 27 August, not before 19:30 CEST, the Centre Court will host the clash between Gala-Diestro and the Deus brothers. This will be followed, again on Centre Court, by the second semi-final, in which Abbate-Montiel and Cassetta-Iacovino will battle for a place in the final, scheduled for Friday 28 August, when all the medals will be awarded.