The Portuguese duo of Pedro Araujo and Pedro Graça secured a major victory at the FIP Silver Lisboa Padel Racket Centre by Ava CR7, a tournament hosted at the prestigious club owned by football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. This win marks a significant milestone for the pair, who have demonstrated consistent form in Portugal throughout the season.
Tournament Highlights and Results
The road to the title for Araujo and Graça was marked by intense competition, requiring them to overcome high-level opponents in both the semi-finals and the final. Their journey to the top of the podium included the following key matches:
- Semi-final victory: Araujo and Graça faced a grueling challenge against Dani Luna and Iago Fuertes. The match was decided by the narrowest of margins in a third-set tie-break, ending with a final score of 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.
- Championship final: In the deciding match, the Portuguese pair defeated the duo of Marco Cassetta and Fabian Oviedo. After splitting the first two sets, Araujo and Graça pulled away to win the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.
- Women’s draw champions: The Spanish pairing of Marisol Fernandez and Cristina Carrascosa took home the title in the women’s bracket. After dropping the opening set to Giorgia Rosi and Paula Ferran, they rallied to win the final two sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
- Women’s semi-final path: Before reaching the final, Fernandez and Carrascosa successfully navigated a tough match against local favorite Catarina Santos and her partner, Carmen Azcoitia, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
For Pedro Araujo, this victory adds to an already stellar year, which included a gold medal in the mixed category at the Mediterranean Games alongside his sister, Sofia. Reflecting on the win, Araujo noted that the team had been pursuing a title of this caliber for some time and emphasized that the support from the local fans at the Lisbon stadium was instrumental to their success. This triumph continues a strong trend for the pair, who previously claimed FIP Bronze titles in Madeira and Portimao earlier this season.
On the women's side, the victory in Lisbon represents the second title of the year for Fernandez and Carrascosa, following their earlier success at the FIP Bronze Sassauolo. Fernandez expressed great pride in the team's performance, specifically praising her partner, Carrascosa, for her high level of play throughout the tournament.
