It's here surprise of the day in Rome. Javi leal et Fran Guerrero, seeded No. 13, achieved a major feat by eliminating the pair Coki Nieto / Mike Yanguas, number 4 in the tournament, at the end of a thrilling match concluded at third set tie-break.

An impressive rise in power

Already authors of a nice shot in the eighth when leaving Tello / Di Nenno, Leal and Guerrero repeated this Friday on the center court of the Foro Italico. Facing two opponents higher ranked and more experienced on the circuit Premier Padel, the two Spaniards showed exemplary fighting spirit.

The first set could have been a good one for them: at 5/4, they got a set point on the opponent's serve... but it was Nieto and Yanguas who managed to reverse the trend by winning three games in a row to clinch the set. 7/5.

A foolproof mind

Far from being discouraged, Leal and Guerrero returned with even more intensity. Their response was clear and unequivocal in the second set: a 6/3 mastered, built on aggressive play and perfect communication. The public, won over by the energy displayed by the two Andalusian players, then began to believe in the feat.

The final set was a tug-of-war. No breaks were conceded. Both duos held their serve firmly until the final tiebreak, where Leal and Guerrero proved more accurate and more inspired in crucial moments. They won. 5/7 6/3 7/6(3) after more than two and a half hours of play.

A reforming and impressive pair

Formerly partners in youth categories, Javi Leal and Fran Guerrero had never reached this stage of the competition before Premier PadelTheir Roman journey propels them into the semi-finals, a historic first for them, and this as lowest seed still in the running in this Major.

A mountain to climb: Tapia and Coello

To continue their dream, they will have to face the world number ones, Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello, which left little hope for Paquito Navarro and Lucas Bergamini in the quarter-finals (6 / 4 6 / 2). A major challenge awaits the two Spanish outsiders, but their level of play and their mentality could well offer them a new opportunity to surprise.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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