In a week off from the Premier Padel circuit, some pairs outside the world's top 10 took the opportunity to participate in the FIP Gold Lyon, a tournament on the Cupra FIP Tour circuit, which awarded 125 points to the winners and distributed €50,000 in prize money.
In the men's draw, the spotlight was on the presence of Alex Ruiz / Alex Arroyo and the “bombers” Alex Chozas / Leo Augsburger, who were seen as the main contenders for victory. However, neither duo managed to take the trophy home, as the “underdogs” Jairo Bautista and Fran Guerrero defeated Alex Ruiz and Alex Arroyo in the quarterfinals (2-6, 6-4, 6-3) and then beat Alex Chozas and Leo Augsburger in the final (4-6, 7-6, 6-4), claiming their third title of the year on the Cupra FIP Tour.
In the women's competition, Bea Caldera and Lorena Rufo achieved their second title in the Gold category this season (they had won the FIP Gold Valladolid last June) by defeating the No. 1 seeds and favorites Alejandra Alonso and Andrea Ustero.
PORTUGUESE PLAYERS WITH A QUIET RUN IN LYON
This FIP Gold Lyon saw the participation of only three Portuguese players (Gustavo Nunes, Catarina Santos, and Catarina Vilela), who had a brief appearance in the French event.
Gustavo Nunes, alongside Raul Marcos, was eliminated in the round of 16 by Alex Ruiz and Alex Arroyo, the tournament's top seeds.
Catarina Santos and the Spaniard Elena de La Rosa, after passing the qualifying round, were defeated in the first round by Marta Talavan and Julieta Bidahorria.
Catarina Vilela, together with Ana Sanchez, followed a similar path, reaching the main draw via qualification and eventually losing to the experienced Carolina Orsi and Nuria Rodriguez.