The mixed padel event at the XX Mediterranean Games has officially entered its decisive knockout phase following the conclusion of the opening round. Four emerging nations—Slovenia, Kosovo, Cyprus, and Greece—have successfully advanced to the quarter-finals, where they are set to challenge the tournament's top-seeded pairs at the Parco del Mediterraneo in Taranto.
Quarter-Final Matchups and Road to the Finals
The progression to the quarter-finals follows a series of competitive matches held on Monday. Slovenia’s duo of Simon Javoršek and Tina Lah secured their spot by defeating Serbia’s Acimov and Mirkovic in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Meanwhile, Donika Bashota and Lavdrim Krasniqi of Kosovo advanced after a hard-fought three-set victory over Montenegro’s team of Simonovic and Pelonzi. These two pairs join Cyprus and Greece, who had previously locked in their quarter-final berths.
The quarter-final schedule, which spans Tuesday and Wednesday, features the following matchups:
- Cyprus vs. Portugal: Maria Siopacha and Sergis Kyratzis (Cyprus) face a significant test against the number 1 seeds, Sofia and Pedro Araujo (Portugal), opening the Tuesday programme at 10 CEST on the Central Court.
- Greece vs. Tunisia: Pavlos-Louis Balafas and Christina-Styliani Ntanou (Greece) are set to compete against the 4th-seeded pair, Dora Chamli and Mehdi Elloumi (Tunisia).
- Italy vs. Kosovo: The 2nd-seeded Italian pair, Giulia Dal Pozzo and Marco Cassetta, will make their tournament debut on Wednesday against the advancing team from Kosovo.
- France vs. Slovenia: The French duo of Louise Bahurel and Dylan Guichard will face off against Slovenia’s Javoršek and Lah to round out the quarter-final fixtures.
As the tournament moves into the business end, these emerging teams face the daunting task of overcoming established top seeds to keep their medal hopes alive in Taranto.
