The Fip Platinum Sardegna is underway all week at the Cagliari Tennis Club: one of the leading padel events in Italy for 2023, with several of the leading players in the world and a prize pool of 120,000 euros equally divided between men and women. Today is the day of the round of 16, with the debut of the top seeds, then tomorrow the quarterfinals to close on Saturday with the semi-finals and Sunday (from 10am) with the finals. «Enthusiasts will be able to come to the Cagliari Tennis Club to admire the best padel players in the world: together with the Sardinia Region which is a partner in our event we have decided to give free entry», states Luigi Carraro, president of the FIP (International Padel Federation ) in connection with "Il Cagliari in Diretta" on Radiolina. «It is the most important tournament at an international level to date. We are very happy to return to Sardinia, the players wanted it after the great events of 2020 and 2021. This year the scenario is extraordinary, also because there is a beautiful climate, and the stands are packed."
The success. Padel is becoming more and more successful and Cagliari is becoming a point of reference at an international level. «In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, thanks to the courage of councilor Gianni Chessa he held the only padel event in Italy», recalls Carraro. «From there the players discovered this magnificent island and wanted to return, last year it wasn't possible for calendar reasons but I can say that from this year it will no longer be missing. Not only is the location unique in the world, but also for the players: it is an extraordinary spectacle." And there are also developments at the Olympic level: «This year, for the first time, padel was part of the European Olympic Games. The Olympic dream is becoming ever closer, events like this in Sardinia help a lot. The IOC watches these events carefully and when it sees a show like this, with a large audience, it helps a lot. Sardinia has not only helped us make this sport important but is also making it Olympic."
In the field. Today, while waiting for the last matches, important results from the Italians in the round of 16 of the Fip Platinum Sardinia. Success in 39' for Giorgia Marchetti and Chiara Pappacena, 6-1 6-1 over Alegre Mansou-van der Hoek who from Lucky Loser had replaced one of the top seeds who were unable to participate in the last match. Carolina Orsi, paired with Carla Mesa, prevailed 5-7 7-5 6-1 over the Spanish Sara Pujals Pérez and Arantxa Soriano Pérez. Tomorrow, in an all-Italian derby in the quarterfinals, she will find Lorena Vano who (together with Letizia Manquillo) beat Hemmes-Jonker 6-2 6-4.