Aima-Baldi chase another victory in Italy

The stars of padel arrive in Sicily for the FIP Silver Mediolanum Cup Palermo, which will feature eight players from the men’s FIP Ranking top 100 and thirteen from the women’s top 100. In the women’s draw, one pair is aiming for another success on home soil: Margherita Baldi and Clarissa Aima, who have already won in Italy this year at the FIP Bronze Montesilvano. The tournament represents another opportunity to confirm an outstanding season, having also claimed titles at the FIP Silver Timisoara and the FIP Bronze Rivesaltes. Leading the women’s draw are Agueda Perez, the Madrid-born player born in 2007 and ranked No. 39 in the FIP Ranking, and Lucia Martinez. The courts of the ASD Country Time Club will also host Argentina’s “Leyenda” Virginia Riera, who will partner Teresa Navarro. The pair have secured three titles together this season: the FIP Silver Dubai and the FIP Bronze Agrigento and Bahrain. Riera also won the FIP Silver Manila alongside Lucia Sainz. Also among the notable contenders are Lucia Peralta and Rebeca Lopez, finalists this year in Italy at the FIP Bronze Latina, as well as the duo of Alba Perez and Alba Gallardo.

Heading the men’s draw are Antonio “Pincho” Fernandez and Adrian Marques, ranked No. 63 and No. 95 in the world respectively. Fernandez claimed the FIP Bronze Mallorca title in January, while Marquez won the FIP Bronze Comunitat Valenciana I in the same month. Their main challengers are the tournament’s second seeds: Javi Valdes, the highest-ranked Chilean player in the FIP Ranking at No. 77, and Renzo Nunez. In 2026, the pair won the FIP Bronze Asunción title in Paraguay together. Also in the spotlight is Marco Cassetta, winner of 14 CUPRA FIP Tour titles during his career, who has already won the FIP Silver Bari in Italy this year. In Palermo, he will compete alongside Pedro Melendez. The draw also includes several Italian players, from the pair Federico Galli and Lorenzo Di Giovanni to emerging young talents Noa Bonnefoy and Michele Brambilla, who made their debut at last week’s BNL Italy Major Premier Padel in Rome.