(MENAFN- Mid-East.Info) Ramon Agenjo confirmed Abu Dhabi as an ideal launchpad for the World Padel Tour 2023 season.
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Ramon Agenjo, President of the World Padel Tour, praised Abu Dhabi's hosting of the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master, which is being held as part of the World Padel Tour's opening tournament for this year.
The World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master is organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL Events). Modon Properties is the title sponsor for the UAE's newest international sporting event, while other key sponsors include Emirates Post Group, McDonald's, Bullpadel, Hilton, Estrella Damm, and Head, among others.
On attending the tournament at Bab Al Nojoum on Hudayriyat Island, Ramon said:“I am delighted that World Padel Tour is hosting a Master tournament in Abu Dhabi, an international destination loved by all, with its welcoming citizens. Hosting the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master on Hudayriyat Island has been a worthwhile starting point for the 2023 World Padel Tour season as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the tour. This tournament is of historical significance as we witnessed the first Arabs to ever play in a World Padel Tour Main Draw. We are grateful to the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Department of Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism, Modon Properties, and all the partners that have contributed to organising a world-class sporting event.”
“We have witnessed a hotly-contested set of matches from a beautiful destination, such as Bab Al Nojoum, which is surrounded by the pristine blue waters of Hudayriyat Island, making the experience one to remember. The UAE is proving itself to be a padel-adoring nation and we greatly hope that the sport continues to thrive here after this,” Agenjo added.
The quarter-finals, held yesterday, was where the heat really picked up at the World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master. Franco Stupaczuk and Martín Di Nenno eliminated fellow Argentinian champions Fernando Belasteguín and Carlos Daniel“Sanyo” Gutiérrez in a face-to-face that ended in 6-3 / 6-3 victory.
The win takes Stupaczuk and Di Nenno into the semifinals, where they will face world number ones Juan Lebron and Alejandro Galan, who defeated Jorge Nieto Ruiz and Pablo Lima, 6-4 / 6-1, in the battle that closed the day.
Eleventh-seeded duo Gonzalo Rubio Pérez and Javier Ruiz González were taken to three sets by their lower-ranked opponents Iván Ramírez Del Campo and Pablo Cardona Huerta – 6-4 / 2-6 / 6-2– in the morning on centre court, breaking the debutant duos unbeaten streak of 11 matches in the year.
The duel between Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia and Pincho Fernández and José García Diestro for the second direct ticket to the semifinals began with four straight games for the former, who barely looked back throughout, eventually taking the match comfortably 6-4 / 6-2.
In the women's tournament, world number ones Alejandra Salazar Bengoechea and Gemma Triay Pons made relatively easy work of newly paired fifth seeds Lucía Sainz Pelegri and Aranzazu Osoro Ulrich – 6-4 / 6-2.
The Aleyeto twins have been defeated. In a match that went to a second set tie-breaker, the lower ranked Jessica Castelló López and Claudia Jensen Sirvent booked their place in the semi-finals – 4-6 / 6-7(2).
Second favourites Ariana Sánchez Fallada and Paula Josemaría Martín barely broke a sweat in their match-up against sixth-seed duo Verónica Virseda Sánchez and Bárbara Las Heras Monterde, progressing via a 6/0, 6/2 score line.
Elsewhere in the women's category, the Zielinski/Segador team defeated María Virginia Riera and Tamara Icardo Alcorisa.
The enduring dominance of the top teams was the theme on the penultimate day of the World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master on Saturday.
World number ones Gemma Triay and Alejandra Salazar became the earliest finalists of the season after beating the Castello/Jensen pairing in a fairly straightforward two sets on centre court – coming through 6-4 / 6-2.
The first men's finalists were confirmed when the most unshakeable duo in the tournament continued their streak to lay waste to fourteenth-ranked Spanish compatriots Javi Ruiz Gonzalez and Gonzalo Rubio Perez via a comprehensive 6-2 / 6-3 score.
About Abu Dhabi Sports Council:
Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) was established in 2006 by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. ADSC is aligned with the emirate's leadership vision to develop sports and youth activities. The Council promotes an effective, emirate-wide sports calendar that stimulates the desire to participate in quality sports among all Abu Dhabi residents and helps the talented and motivated reach their sporting potential.
The sports council supports the organisation and hosting of many international sporting events in Abu Dhabi.
About Modon:
Modon Properties was established in January 2018 as a real estate development company mandated by the Government of Abu Dhabi to develop leisure, recreational, and sports destinations. The company works in line with the goals of Abu Dhabi's Future Plan, supporting the emirate's economic success and keeping pace with its future growth. Through developing multi-use strategic projects, Modon aims to offer citizens, residents, and visitors an optimal experience of Abu Dhabi.
About the World Padel Tour:
World Padel Tour is the top padel competition worldwide, where the best male and female players compete to reach the top World Ranking of the fastest-growing sport.
About the Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL):
Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL) is global event operations and marketing company that organises and promotes world-class conferences (such as the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit), exhibitions and sporting events around the world. GMOL is based in the UAE, with its main headquarters located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
In August 2022, GMOL and World Padel Tour signed an exclusive Middle East agreement to bring WPT's Master tournament to Abu Dhabi from 21 – 26 February 2023. Abu Dhabi will host the first WPT Master in the MENA Region and the first Master tournament in WPT's 2023 season.