Abud and González Blanco arrive in Spain to claim another triumph

There is one pair arriving at the FIP Bronze Astorga in Spain aiming to secure a second consecutive title. Martin Abud and Marcos González Blanco, fresh from their victory last week at the FIP Silver in Narbonne, France, are looking to lift another trophy. González Blanco is enjoying an outstanding season: in addition to that success, he has claimed four other CUPRA FIP Tour titles, winning the FIP Silver tournaments in Timisoara and Wadi, as well as the FIP Bronze events in London and Caltanissetta. The pair are seeded No. 2 and, to win the title, will likely need to overcome the top seeds in the men’s draw, Arnau Ayats and Denis Perino, who arrive in Spain following an excellent FIP Gold Shanghai campaign in mid-June, where they reached the final. Also among the leading contenders are Jesus Moya-Alejandro Carnero and Alejandro Merino-Guillermo Fernandez. Attention will also be on Pablo Sanchez and Robert Belmont. This season, Sanchez, alongside Adri Naranjo, won the FIP Bronze tournaments in Singapore, Nairobi and Bratislava.

Leading the women’s draw are Lara Arruabarrena and Ana Nogueira, No. 45 and 52 in the FIP Ranking. The top seeds are placed in the same half of the draw as Brittany Dubins and Anna Cortiles. Dubins arrives after a highly successful period in which, following title wins at the FIP Bronze tournaments in Miami and Hamburg, she also became champion at the FIP Silver Palermo in mid-June. In the opposite half are Rebeca Lopez-Blanca Arriola Cerrejon and Claudia Ordoñez-Aitana Garcia. Also among the players to watch are Maria Delgado and Susana Martin.