Great Britain’s national padel teams have officially discovered their paths to the FIP World Cup following the draw for the European qualifying tournament held in Madrid. Both the men’s and women’s squads now know exactly which nations they must overcome to secure their spots in the upcoming global competition.
The Qualifying Draw and Schedule
The tournament, which begins this week, features a rigorous group stage format. Great Britain’s teams have been placed into the following groups:
- Men's Group C: Great Britain will compete against Moldova and Austria.
- Women's Group A: Great Britain will face off against Serbia and Norway.
The Irish teams also learned their opponents for the qualifying rounds. The men are placed in Group H alongside Slovenia, Hungary, and Poland, while the Irish women are in Group F with Slovenia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
For those following the action, the Great Britain teams begin their campaigns on Tuesday, September 21, on the central court:
- Women’s Opener: The GB women face Norway at 9:00 am local time (8:00 am BST).
- Men’s Opener: The GB men take on Austria, with the match scheduled for no earlier than midday local time (11:00 am BST).
The full field for the European qualifiers is extensive, with the remaining groups structured as follows:
Men’s Groups:
- Group A: Netherlands, Estonia, Azerbaijan
- Group B: Germany, Lithuania, Georgia
- Group D: Bulgaria, Norway, Finland
- Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey
- Group F: Romania, Ukraine, Greece, Czechia
- Group G: Cyprus, Denmark, Croatia, Serbia
Women’s Groups:
- Group B: Germany, Turkey, Hungary
- Group C: Denmark, Austria, Czechia
- Group D: Lithuania, Poland, Switzerland
- Group E: Georgia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia
This qualifying event represents a critical milestone for the competing nations as they vie for a place in the FIP World Cup. With the draw finalized and the schedule set, the focus now shifts to the courts in Madrid as the teams prepare for their opening matches.
