The FIP World Cup Qualifiers in South America have reached a critical juncture, with Paraguay and Uruguay emerging as the dominant forces in the men’s draw. Both nations secured second consecutive victories on Day 2, setting the stage for a high-stakes head-to-head match that will determine which team earns the single available qualification spot for the upcoming tournament in Doha.
Day 2 Results and Standings
In the men’s competition, both Paraguay and Uruguay maintained their momentum with commanding 3-0 sweeps over their respective opponents. The following breakdown details the specific match results that have led to this decisive final showdown:
- Paraguay vs. Venezuela: Paraguay dominated the tie, starting with a 6-0, 6-1 victory by Facundo Dehnike and Adrian Miranda over Alejandro Vargas Couri and Jose Alberto Mendez. Martin Abud and Matias Popovich followed with a 6-1, 6-3 win, while Sebastian Rodriguez and Pierre Petit closed out the sweep by defeating Eduardo Andres Lopez and Santiago Andres Soto 6-1, 6-2.
- Uruguay vs. Ecuador: Uruguay mirrored this success, beginning with Higor Andres Ensslin and Juan Ignacio Artia defeating Simon Andres Gomez and Roberto Carlos Pinargote Palma 6-3, 6-0. Martin Araujo and Diego Sebastian Ramos secured the second point with a 6-1, 6-3 victory, and Rodrigo Sennatore and Nicolas Rosas completed the 3-0 result by beating Mateo Enrique Proano and Estefano Mateo Montoya 6-3, 6-2.
Current standings show Paraguay and Uruguay tied at the top with 4 points each, while Venezuela and Ecuador trail with 2 points. The teams will face off in a final qualifying match at 2 pm local time (19 CEST) to decide the winner of the group.
The women’s draw also saw strong performances from the same nations. Paraguay, playing on home soil in Asunción, secured a hard-fought victory against Chile. After falling behind early, Paraguay leveled the tie through Veronica Cepede and Olga Barreiro, before the duo of Mariana Salsamendi and Maria Alejandra Vera clinched the win in a dramatic three-set tie-break (4-6, 6-1, 7-6) against Macarena Lobo and Amalia Bentjerodt. Meanwhile, Uruguay continued their dominant form by defeating Ecuador 3-0, fueled by wins from the pairs of Miriam Morales-Cecilia Gasdia, Maria Jose Pintos Moleda-Camila David De Lima Gonzalez, and Camila Belassi-Stephania Gaetan Monza.
The women’s group is currently highly competitive, with Venezuela, Paraguay, and Uruguay all sitting at 4 points, while Chile and Ecuador hold 3 points. The final matches, featuring Venezuela against Paraguay and Chile against Uruguay, are scheduled to conclude the qualifying stage on August 23.
