Men's National Team Falls to Spain and Will Fight for Bronze
The National Team lost this afternoon against the heavily favored Spain in the European Padel Championship by 2-1, missing out on the much-desired final.
In the first match of the Iberian duel, António Luque and Peu Araújo faced Pablo Cardona and Alex Arroyo. The national duo had a disastrous start, showing signs of nervousness, which resulted in a clear 1-6 victory for the Spaniards.
The second set told a different story. The Portuguese pair played more freely and decisively, significantly improving their game level. The match became more balanced, and at certain moments, Peu and Luque were superior to Cardona and Arroyo. It was not surprising that in the ninth game, they achieved the much-desired break after missing two opportunities in the seventh game, closing the set on their serve.
With the match tied, there was hope for continued success. However, an early break in the first service game of the final set affected the rest of the match. Peu and Luque lost momentum, and the Spaniards capitalized, closing out the match.
In the second match, Nuno Deus and Miguel Deus faced Alex Ruiz and Javi Leal. Despite a commendable effort, they lost 4-6 and 6-7. The Deus brothers fought hard and had three set points in the second set, but the ball just wouldn't fall in their favor.
In the last match of the day, where Afonso Fazendeiro and Pedro Perry were set to face Javi Rico and Momo Gonzalez, the Spaniards opted not to play, conceding a walkover to Portugal.
Tomorrow, our National Team will compete for the bronze medal against France. This match is scheduled for 15:00.
Defeat Against Spain Leaves Portugal Fighting for Bronze
As expected, our Women's National Team was defeated 3-0 by Spain this morning in the European Padel Championship semifinals.
Despite the national team's hopes for a first victory against the powerful Spaniards, the significant difference in skill between the two teams was evident.
Portugal did everything possible to counter Spain's favoritism, even having coach Marcelo Russowsky pair our two best players, Sofia Araújo and Ana Catarina Nogueira, in an attempt to surprise the Spaniards. However, it was not enough.
In the first match, Patrícia Ribeiro and Cláudia Gaspar couldn't find solutions against the superior play of Alejandra Alonso and Andrea Ustero, losing 6-0, 6-0.
The second match held Portugal's hope for a win. Ana Catarina Nogueira and Sofia Araújo faced Marta Ortega and Jessica Castelló. Although some balance was expected, Ortega and Castelló remained in control for most of the match. The Portuguese duo showed some resistance in the second set, but it wasn't enough, ending in a 6-2, 6-3 defeat.
With everything decided, Catarina Vilela and Kátia Rodrigues faced Lucia Sainz and Patty Llaguno. The Portuguese pair managed to be competitive in some games, but the superior quality and experience of the Spaniards prevented Portugal from balancing the match, ending in a 6-0, 6-1 defeat.
Following this expected loss to Spain, our team will focus on tomorrow's match against either Italy or France, competing for the bronze medal in this European Championship.