Just a few weeks after joining forces, Bastien Blanqué and Maxime Joris may already have found their breakthrough tournament. Having qualified for the semi-finals of the FIP Bronze in Frascati, the two Frenchmen are just one win away from their first final together on the FIP circuit. Facing the lower-ranked Spaniards Rodrigo Manrique (325th) and Abraham Muñoz (274th), they have a great opportunity to confirm the promise they've shown since the beginning of their partnership. 

An association that is gaining momentum

It's only their  fourth tournament together , but the automatic processes are already well established.

After an encouraging first quarter-final at  FIP Silver from Koksijde , where they had been stopped by Juanlu Esbri and Pablo Garcia, Bastien Blanqué and Maxime Joris confirm this week that their association is gaining momentum.

In Frascati, their performance so far has been very convincing. The French initially dominated the Italian-Spanish pair.  Pablo Castillo Valverde  (269e)  / Flavio Fioriti  (601st) after a three-set battle ( 6/1 5/7 7/6 ), before following up with a more controlled victory against the Italians  Leonardo Abbate ( 547th)  / Gabriele De Angelis  (1423th) ( 6 / 1 6 / 4 ).

In the quarter-finals, they confirmed their rise in form by defeating the Spanish team.  Hugo Lorenzo Serrano ( 337th)  and Martin Martinez Perez  (474th) ( 7/6(5) 6/3 ), thus securing their place in the final four.

Two players who needed stability

This qualification rewards two players who were primarily seeking continuity.

For  Bastien Blanqué The 2026 season fell far short of expectations. His project with  Yoan Boronad  never really took off. Despite a few FIP Bronze semi-final appearances, the results remained insufficient to allow him to maintain his world ranking. Consequently, the former French number one is now ranked beyond the  200th place in the world .

 Maxime Joris He, too, was looking for more stability. After a successful Asian tour alongside  Manuel Vives marked by a title at  Singapore FIP Bronze  and a semi-final in Thailand, he then alternated partnerships. His pairing with  Jeremy Robert  had shown some good things, including several quarter-finals, without however reaching the final four of a FIP tournament.

Today, this new pair seems to meet the expectations of both players.

Maxime Joris: "If Bastien Blanqué hadn't called me, I would have finished the year with Jérémy Robert."

An opportunity to seize

Blanqué and Joris give the impression of complementing each other perfectly. Bastien's experience and solidity combine with Maxime's offensive qualities and power, offering a particularly balanced pairing.

This Sunday, they will start as favorites against the Spanish.  Rodrigo Manrique Nuño ( (325e)  and Abraham Muñoz Zurita   (274e) .

A victory would open the doors to their  first joint final on the international circuit , but above all it would confirm that this new association could quickly become one of the strongest in French padel on the FIP Tour.

Maceo ZERHAT

Maceo Zerhat discovered padel in 2020 in Savigny-sur-Clairis, Burgundy. He contributed to the club's expansion by bringing his energy and curiosity. Padel Magazinehe transmits his Padel"mania" by skillfully bouncing on all the latest news about your favorite sport!

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