FIP Tour: Collombon and Touly strong despite finals

Over the weekend on the FIP Tour, two leading French players faced silver finals on back-to-back stages. Alix Collombon and Carla Touly missed titles in Oeiras and London by the smallest margins, yet their level across the week went well beyond those final defeats. Both leave with 45 important FIP points, benchmark wins over elite pairs, and far more confidence for the next stops on the international calendar.

Oeiras: Collombon and Sharifova shine on debut

At FIP Silver Oeiras, Alix Collombon teamed up with Russia's Ksenia Sharifova for the first time. What began as a trial of a new partnership quickly became one of the strongest runs of the event. Until the quarter-finals, the duo did not drop a set, controlled key rallies under pressure, and grew visibly tighter with every match.

In the quarter-finals they beat Marina Lobo and Noemi Aguilar 7-6, 6-3. The match showed how resilient Collombon and her partner are when it matters: after a tight opening set they raised their intensity in the second and offered few openings. In the semi-finals they faced third seeds Araceli Martinez and Laura Lujan. Again they stayed composed, taking the first set 6-4, losing the second 4-6, and closing out the decider 6-3.

The final against fourth seeds Marta Talavan and Sofia Saiz Vallejo ended 3-6, 4-6. The Spaniards were sharper in the biggest points and controlled pace and placement for long stretches. For Collombon and Sharifova, reaching a final on their first outing together on the FIP Tour remains a major statement. Their chemistry at the net already looked mature, and wins over highly seeded opponents underline the potential of the new pairing.

Talavan and Saiz Vallejo had produced one of the surprises of the week when they beat top seeds Victoria Iglesias and Aranzazu Osoro in the semi-finals, proving how open the draw in Oeiras was. Collombon and Sharifova will meet the circuit again next week at FIP Silver Hoganas in Sweden, where the French-Russian pair will look to go one step further.

London: Touly confirms form against the world's best

At the same time, Carla Touly was running deep at FIP Silver London. With Spain's Amanda Lopez Moral she also reached the final, where top seeds Lorena Rufo and Jessica Castello Lopez won 6-1, 6-4. Against two players ranked inside the world's top 25 the defeat was understandable, yet Touly had repeatedly hit her peak level earlier in the week.

The highlight was the semi-final against Lucia Sainz, a former world number one, and Jana Montes, the second seeds. Touly and Lopez Moral turned a brutal match around 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. That win counts as a reference result: it shows Touly can not only compete at international level but actively shape matches against established elite pairs. Rally length, return quality, and calm on break points made the difference.

In the final Rufo and Castello Lopez dominated from the start. They played at high tempo, mixed lobs and bandejas, and gave the French-Spanish pair little room to counter. For Touly the trend remains clear: her progression on tour is measurable, her results against the top field are stable, and the London final run underlines her place in the upper tier of women's padel.

45 FIP points and momentum for France

Despite two lost titles, the weekend is a clear positive for French padel. Collombon and Touly each collect 45 FIP points, a meaningful boost in the season standings. Both also scored wins against pairs from the very top of the draw and head into the next silver events with renewed belief.

• Collombon/Sharifova: finalists in Oeiras, no sets lost before the quarter-finals, semi-final win over the third seeds.
• Touly/Lopez Moral: finalists in London, semi-final win over former world number one Sainz.
• Both pairs: 45 FIP points and a direct move into another silver tournament.

From the early rounds it was clear both French pairs wanted more than points: they aimed to sharpen their game against different styles. In Oeiras the new team impressed with clear roles: Sharifova attacked early, Collombon finished at the net and kept side changes stable. Against technically strong opponents from Spain and Portugal the error count stayed low, which proved decisive in tight sets.

In London Touly relied on pace and aggressive returns. Against Rufo and Castello Lopez that was not enough in the final, yet the path there was built on constant intensity. The semi-final against Sainz and Montes alone lasted more than two hours and demanded everything physically and mentally. That Touly still produced high-level padel afterwards underlines her professionalism and pre-season work.

For fans and the federation, the message is clear: France remains a force in women's doubles on the FIP Tour even if the trophies this time went to Spain and to London's top favourites. The coming weeks will show whether Collombon with Sharifova and Touly with Lopez Moral can turn final appearances into titles.