Portugal’s men’s national padel team advanced to the semi-finals of the European Championship, securing their spot despite a group stage loss to defending champions Spain and setting up a high-stakes rematch against Italy.
The Portuguese squad finished second in Group A, guaranteeing their place in the final four. They are scheduled to face Italy, the top seed from Group B, in a semi-final match later today.
This upcoming encounter holds added significance, as Portugal previously defeated Italy to claim the bronze medal at the 2024 World Padel Championship.
Portugal’s qualification came after a hard-fought group stage match against Spain, the current European champions. While Portugal ultimately fell short against the favored Spanish side, they demonstrated significant progress.
All three individual encounters in the tie were tightly contested affairs, showcasing Portugal’s evolution against Europe’s top padel powers.
In the opening rubber, Peu Araújo and Pedro Graça pushed Spain’s José Antonio Diestro and Víctor Ruiz to three sets. The Portuguese pair won the first set 6-2 and even held a match point at 5-4 in the decisive third set. Spain ultimately prevailed with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Afonso Fazendeiro and Miguel Oliveira faced Álex Ruiz and Juanlu Esbrí in another close battle. Spain secured the first set in a tie-break, 7-6, and closed out the match 6-3 in the second set.
The final rubber saw Miguel Deus and António Luque initially take a 3-0 lead against Álvaro Cepero and David Gala. Spain rallied, recovering their deficit to win the first set in a tie-break and then sealing the match 6-1 in the second set.