The men’s padel tournament at the XX Mediterranean Games in Taranto has reached its climax, with Spain and Italy set to battle for the gold medal. Following a high-stakes day of semi-finals at the Parco del Mediterraneo Salinella, the final matchups have been confirmed for a highly anticipated "Super Friday."
The Path to the Men’s Final
The semi-final stage saw two intense matches that determined which pairs would compete for the top spot on the podium. Here is how the finalists secured their positions:
- David Gala and Jose Antonio Diestro (Spain): The Spanish duo earned their spot in the final by defeating Portuguese brothers Nuno and Miguel Deus in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5. The match was defined by fine margins, with the score tied at 5-5 in both sets before Gala and Diestro executed crucial breaks to clinch the victory. The pair, who previously won the 2025 FIP Euro Padel Cup, demonstrated their championship pedigree under pressure.
- Flavio Abbate and Alvaro Montiel (Italy): In an all-Italian semi-final, Abbate and Montiel overcame compatriots Marco Cassetta and Simone Iacovino with a score of 7-6, 6-1. Despite falling behind 4-1 early in the first set, Abbate and Montiel mounted a comeback to win the tie-break 7-2. They carried that momentum into the second set, dominating their opponents 6-1 to secure their place in the gold medal match.
Following these results, the bronze medal match will feature the Portuguese brothers, Nuno and Miguel Deus, facing off against the Italian pair of Marco Cassetta and Simone Iacovino.
The final day of competition on August 28 will conclude with a packed schedule of medal matches. The morning session will feature the bronze medal contests across the men’s, women’s, and mixed draws. The afternoon session, beginning no earlier than 17:00 CEST, will shift to the gold medal matches on Centre Court:
- Mixed Gold Medal Match: Marco Cassetta and Giulia Dal Pozzo take on siblings Sofia and Pedro Araujo.
- Women’s Gold Medal Match: Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno face off against Jimena Velasco and Nuria Rodriguez.
- Men’s Gold Medal Match: David Gala and Jose Antonio Diestro meet Flavio Abbate and Alvaro Montiel, scheduled for no earlier than 19:00 CEST.
With the gold medal on the line, Alvaro Montiel expressed the determination of the Italian squad, stating, "We will give everything we have to beat Spain!"
