Jiménez and Arroyo close the match in straight sets
José Jiménez and Álex Arroyo, the number 14 seeds, beat Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz 7-6, 6-4 in the Madrid P1 round of 16. The match lasted about 1 hour 25 minutes. The first set was decided in a tie-break before the Spanish pair took the final game of the second set on Sanz’s serve.
Stupaczuk and Sanz held a set point at 5-4, 30-40 in the opening set on Jiménez’s serve. The Spaniards saved it and then won the tie-break 8-6. The second set stayed level through 4-4. At 5-4 on Sanz’s serve, Jiménez and Arroyo won the final two points from 30-30 to finish the match.
On Wednesday, Stupaczuk and Sanz had opened their tournament with a win. The number 4 seeds beat Mariano González and Curro Cabeza 6-4, 6-3. Jiménez and Arroyo had defeated Facundo López and Franco Dal Bianco 7-5, 6-3 before facing the fourth seeds.
Belgrade had secured their number four seeding
Four days earlier, Stupaczuk and Sanz had won FIP Gold Belgrade in their first tournament together. They beat Coki Nieto and Mike Yanguas 6-3, 7-5 in the final and did not drop a set all week.
The International Padel Federation also confirmed that the title and 150 FIP ranking points earned in Serbia allowed them to keep the number four seeding for the Paris Major. After the final, Stupaczuk highlighted how quickly the new partnership had settled.
For our first tournament together, we had some very good feelings. We knew our opponents very well, and I’m very happy with the understanding we have developed.
The Madrid defeat does not remove that advantage for Paris. Stupaczuk and Sanz will remain protected from the top three seeds until the semi-finals if the draw follows the seedings. Their first Premier Padel week as a new pair still ends in the round of 16.
Jiménez and Arroyo will face Íñigo Jofre and Jairo Bautista in the quarter-finals after Jofre and Bautista beat Momo González and Lucas Campagnolo 7-5, 6-3. A pair seeded outside the top 10 is therefore guaranteed a place in the Madrid P1 semi-finals.
