FIP Tour: three Frenchwomen in quarters
Saturday on the FIP Tour painted a mixed picture for French padel players. While Carla Touly, Camille Sireix and Léa Godallier reached the quarter-finals, most of the Tricolores saw their runs end in the round of 16. Four events across four European venues were in focus: the FIP Bronze San Juan Alicante in Spain, the FIP Bronze in Lelystad in the Netherlands, the FIP Silver in Porto in Portugal and the FIP Bronze in Rovato in Italy.
Carla Touly stays on course in Alicante
At the FIP Bronze San Juan Alicante, Carla Touly teamed with Xenia Clasca as the No. 2 seeds. Against Susana Martin Marin and Mar Munera Vila, a long battle was required. After winning a tie-break in the first set, they clearly lost the second before reclaiming control in the decider at 6-3. Final score: 7-6, 1-6, 6-3. The match showed that even seeded pairs can come under pressure on the FIP Tour when opponents stay competitive across multiple sets.
In the quarter-finals, Natalia Molinilla Paniagua and Sara Foguer Lapuente await. For Touly and Clasca, a place in the last four and confirmation of their seeding are at stake. The Franco-Spanish pair remains one of the favourites in the women's field in Alicante.
The day went less well for Julien Seurin and Albert Trillas. The No. 5 seeds lost to Pedro Alonso and Asier Martinez Lopez 7-5, 7-5. Both sets were close, but the decisive points went to the opponents. That ended the French men's run in Alicante before the quarter-finals.
Camille Sireix advances in Lelystad
At the FIP Bronze in Lelystad, Camille Sireix started strongly alongside Dutch partner Tess De Vocht. Against Judith Van Kessel and Joyce Nouws, the pair won 6-2, 7-5. The second set remained contested for longer, but Sireix and De Vocht held their lead and booked a quarter-final spot. Next up are Helena Wyckaert and Louisa Norton.
On the men's side in Lelystad, success did not follow. Jules Marie and Maxime Deloyer found no answer against the No. 2 seeds Prins and De Kroon. At 6-3, 6-0 the match was clearly decided. The contrast with the women's result underlines how differently the French record can look on a single tournament day.
In Porto only Godallier stays alive
At the FIP Silver Porto, the day was especially demanding for the French teams. Thomas Seux and Louis Jover were eliminated by the No. 5 seeds Ramiro Pereyra and Juan Zamora 6-2, 6-1. The clear defeat left little room for a turnaround.
In the women's doubles, however, Léa Godallier and Daiara Valenzuela impressed. Against Sandra Gamez and Maria Martinez they won 6-1, 6-0 and moved confidently into the quarter-finals. There they will face the No. 6 seeds Alba Perez Moma and Alba Gallardo Salvado. Godallier thus remains the only Frenchwoman in Porto to get past the round of 16.
Louise Bahurel and Ivet Val Lopez lost to the No. 2 seeds Noemi Aguilar and Letizia Manquillo 6-3, 7-5. Steffi Merah and Mafalda Fernandes fell to Ana Nogueira and Camila Fassio 6-1, 6-2. Both matches ended further French hopes early.
Rovato: heavy defeats and open matches
At the FIP Bronze Rovato, Saturday was also difficult for the French pairs. Benjamin Dufour and Natan Étienne, who had worked their way into the main draw through qualifying, fell to the No. 1 seeds Antonio Fernandez and Pedro Melendez Amaya 6-2, 6-3.
Manuel Vives and Olivier Guy de Chamisso fought a long battle against Emiliano Martin Iriart and Mauro Agustin Salandro. After 6-1, 5-7 and 7-6 in the third-set tie-break, the match was lost. Kimy Barla and Oriana Meza were eliminated at the outset by Chiara Di Pasquale and Erika Di Muzio 6-4, 6-3.
Still undecided were the round-of-16 ties of Bastien Blanqué and Arthur Hugounenq as well as Dylan Guichard and Clément Geens. Both matches were still ongoing at the time of reporting and could still affect the French record in Rovato.
Three Frenchwomen in the quarter-finals
Overall, three Frenchwomen remain in contention for the next rounds: Carla Touly in Alicante, Camille Sireix in Lelystad and Léa Godallier in Porto. The men's pairs, by contrast, barely got beyond the round of 16 on this Saturday. The FIP Tour day thus showed typical tour reality: tight sets, clear favourite wins and a few pairs who make the jump into the last eight.
Different tasks await in the coming quarter-finals. Touly and Clasca must beat a Spanish pair in Alicante. Sireix and De Vocht face Wyckaert and Norton in the Netherlands. Godallier and Valenzuela meet the seeded pair Perez Moma and Gallardo Salvado in Porto. In parallel, it remains to be seen how the unfinished men's matches in Rovato end.
Sportingly, the focus stays on match control, return quality and stability in long rallies. The three-set wins and narrow two-set losses show how small the margins can be at FIP Bronze and FIP Silver level. Whoever takes the first break chances in the quarter-finals and stays calm in a tie-break gains the next edge on the road to the semi-finals.
