We already have number 1! Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno‘s defeat in the semifinals of the Mexico Open, combined with the victory of Agustin Tapia and Arturo Coello, has led the Spanish-Argentinean couple to be proclaimed the best couple of the year on the World Padel Tour.
We’ll tell you how Saturday’s semifinals went this Saturday in Mexico and what the finals will be like!
Results of the semifinals of the Mexico Open 2023
End of the battle for the men’s number 1 ranking
The semifinals of the Mexico Open in the men’s category started with the match between Agustin Tapia and Arturo Coello against Edu Alonso and Alex Arroyo. A crucial match for the former, who needed a win to reach the final and, therefore, practically guarantee themselves the number 1 ranking, as losing in the quarter-finals of the Master Final would be enough for them to achieve their objective of being the best couple of the year.
Although there was a lot at stake, the number 1 couple showed their best version and annulled any initiative from their rivals, who have played a fantastic role in Mexico. Tapia and Coello were strong on their serves, without conceding a single break point, and in the return game, they generated opportunities to break. In just over an hour of play, the player from Catamarca and the player from Valladolid won 6-2 and 6-4 against their rivals.
Knowing this result, Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno jumped into the second semifinal knowing that the fight to be the best couple of the year was already lost. But not only did they lose that battle, but also their match against Tino Libaak and Leo Augsburger, who will return to a final after the one they won in La Rioja at the beginning of the year.
The clash between the Superpibes and the Pibes would prove to be a thrilling one. Stupa and Di Nenno opened up an early lead, taking a 4-1 lead. Although Libaak and Augsburger got to 4-3, a step away from levelling the match, the Superpibes broke again and ended up closing out the first set 6-3.
The young Argentine couple returned to the 20×10 in the second set with a different face, flying over the court and knocking out their opponents to endorse a convincing 6-1.
In the third set, Carlos Pozzoni’s players went ahead again with a 3-1 lead. That lead would vanish soon after, with Tino and Leo levelling the score after six games. The match would end in a tie-break, which would go to Tino Libaak and Leo Augsburger by 7-4.
Although Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello no longer have anything at stake in the final, having achieved their goal of being the number 1 in 2023, there is a lot at stake for one of their rivals. If Leo Augsburger wins the final with his partner, he would overtake Coki Nieto in the Race and get into the Master Final.
The two remaining favourite couples will fight for the title.
The first of the semifinals of the Mexico Open pitted Tamara Icardo and Virginia Riera against Noa Canovas and Jimena Velasco, who were playing for the first time in this round of the tournament.
The favourite couple started with a 2-0 lead thanks to an early break. However, Noa and Jimena managed to equalize and put the score at 2-2. Canovas had to be treated for a few minutes due to dizziness, but she recovered and continued the match. Neither of the couples were able to defend their serves, and the breaks came and went from one side to the other. Tamara and Virginia came out on top, ending the first set 6-4.
Once again, the start of the second set was marked by two breaks. From then on, both couples held their serves until, in the tenth game, Tamara Icardo and Virginia Riera managed to break again and close the match with another 6-4.
amara and Virginia’s opponents in Sunday’s final will be the number 2 seeds of this tournament, Bea Gonzalez and Delfi Brea. The pairing from Buenos Aires and Malaga beat Claudia Jensen and Vero Virseda in the semifinals.
Bea and Delfi started the match like a cyclone, taking a 5-0 lead from the start. Although Vero and Claudia recovered a break, they couldn’t reduce the advantage and ended up losing 6-2.
Again yesterday, Claudia Jensen felt unwell in the second set and had to be attended by the medical services. Although she returned to the court, she did not feel comfortable and was forced to retire when the score was 4-2.
What time are the finals on Sunday?
The finals of the Mexico Open 2023 will be played this Sunday from 22:00 in Spain (18:00 in Argentina and 15:00 in Mexico).
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