FIP Silver: Godallier into quarters, three French out

Four French padel players were in action on Thursday at the FIP Silver in Alcalá de Guadaíra. While Timéo Fonteny, Yoan Boronad and Arthur Hugounenq were eliminated in the round of 16, Léa Godallier advanced confidently to the quarter-finals alongside her Argentine partner Daiara Valenzuela. The match day therefore delivered a mixed picture for the Tricolore, with narrow defeats in the men's draw and clear dominance in the women's event.

Fonteny and Boronad fall just short against the quarter-finalists

Timéo Fonteny and Yoan Boronad faced the fourth seeds Marcos Gonzalez Blanco and Martin Abud in the round of 16. The French pair had already shown several times in recent weeks that they can compete with higher-ranked opponents, and this clash again developed into a tight three-set battle.

The French duo lost the opener after a fiercely contested first set, 6-7. In the second set, however, Fonteny and Boronad turned the match around and converted their chances more consistently than in previous meetings. They levelled at 7-5, sending a clear message that their level is high enough to challenge the best pairs in the tournament.

In the decisive third set, the two finally ran out of physical freshness. Gonzalez Blanco and Abud dominated the final stanza and won it 6-1. Despite the early exit, Fonteny and Boronad left Alcalá de Guadaíra feeling they had moved closer to their potential. On his social media channels, Yoan Boronad stressed: "The level of play is there, we just need to take our chances."

Next up for the French pair are the qualifiers for the Premier Padel P1 in Málaga. There they want to turn the impressions from Andalusia into concrete results and carry the momentum from their strong performances against seeded pairs.

Hugounenq runs into the top favourites

Arthur Hugounenq had less luck with the draw. Together with Spaniard Jose Manuel Ortiz, he faced the top seeds in the round of 16: David Gala and Enzo Jensen, seeded No. 1. Against this pair, it was clear from the start that Hugounenq and Ortiz would need to produce something close to their best to stay alive in the FIP Silver in Alcalá de Guadaíra.

The first set went clearly in favour of the favourites. Gala and Jensen set the pace and pressure early and took the opener 6-1. In the second set, the Franco-Spanish pair showed a much better face and kept their opponents under pressure for longer. In the end, the fightback was not enough: Gala and Jensen secured the set 6-4 and advanced to the quarter-finals.

For Hugounenq, the appearance remains an important step on the international circuit. Playing the strongest pair in the tournament and offering resistance in the second set confirms his ambitions in the men's field. The Frenchman will use the experience to keep working on consistency in the coming weeks.

Godallier and Valenzuela dominate in the women's draw

The only French winner of the day was Léa Godallier. Alongside Daiara Valenzuela, the second seed from Argentina, the duo met Spaniards Lorena Alonso de Lera and Lucia Dionisio Laureano in the round of 16. Godallier and Valenzuela left no doubt about their favourite status from the first rally.

They closed out the match in just two sets, 6-1, 6-2. Godallier showed the clarity and determination that have made her one of the defining players in French padel in recent months. Valenzuela complemented her with FIP Tour experience and stability in the decisive exchanges.

In the quarter-finals, Rebeca Lopez Lopez and Blanca Arriola now await them. The seventh seeds are ranked 88th and 102nd in the world, and a semi-final place is on the line for Godallier and Valenzuela after their commanding round-of-16 win.

French results on Thursday

French balance sheet at the FIP Silver in Andalusia

The FIP Silver in Alcalá de Guadaíra marks another stop on the international calendar for French players. While the men fell in two close or demanding ties, Godallier keeps the French flag flying in the women's draw. Her path to the quarter-finals underlines the growing depth of French padel, even if the men did not achieve the hoped-for breakthrough on this Thursday.

Fonteny and Boronad leave the tournament with a clear sense that they can trust their level. Their second set against the quarter-finalists showed that the gap to the top pairs is shrinking. Hugounenq gains valuable experience against the tournament's No. 1 pair. Godallier and Valenzuela, meanwhile, head into the next round with maximum confidence and are targeting a semi-final place in Alcalá de Guadaíra.