Day3. Bidahorria and Riera keep going: three titles in a month, now into the last 16 of a Major ahead of the FIP World Cup

Two FIP Silver titles (Nairobi and Houten), one FIP Gold title (Seville) and the eagerly awaited FIP World Cup, where they will represent Argentina. National team call-ups Julieta Bidahorria and Virginia Riera have no intention of slowing down. Today, in the second round of the Kuwait Major, they eliminated eighth seeds Ale Salazar and Aranzazu Osoro 6-2 2-6 6-1. It was a remarkable result against a national team-mate (Osoro) and a padel legend in Salazar, sending Bidahorria and Riera into the round of 16, where they will face Lorena Rufo and Victoria Iglesias. The other unseeded pair to reach the last 16 is Marta Talavan and Sofia Saiz, who came from behind to beat Jessica Castelló and Laia Rodriguez 4-6 7-5 6-4 and will now take on Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay, who are making their debuts, along with the other three top pairs in the world. Paula Josemaria and Bea Gonzalez will begin their Major against Jana Montes and Marta Barrera; Ari Sanchez and Andrea Ustero (3) will face Veronica Virseda and Martina Fassio; Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo (4) will take on Jimena Velasco and Raquel Eugenio, winners of last week’s FIP Gold in Melilla.

 

MEN The debut of Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia against Flavio Abbate and Franco Dal Bianco lasted just 54 minutes. The 6-3 6-0 victory sends the world number ones into the round of 16, where they will face Enrique Goenaga and Guille Collado, one of the pairs to have knocked out a seeded team — number 16 seeds Javi Garrido and Juani De Pascual. It was also a successful start for Juan Lebron and Leo Augsburger (3), who beat Juan Cruz Belluati and Martin Abud 6-4 6-3. On Thursday, in the round of 16, which begins at 12 noon local time (10 CET), they face the big match of the day against Tino Libaak and Gonza Alfonso (12). Coki Nieto‘s return to action alongside Mike Yanguas was hard-fought but successful: after two hours and 10 minutes, Coki and Mike prevailed 6-3 3-6 6-4 over José Solano Marmolejo and Ramiro Pereyra. They will face Jairo Bautista and Lucas Bergamini (10) in the round of 16; like Velasco/Eugenio, they are also coming off a title win at the FIP Gold in Melilla.