Italy fight back twice to reach FIP World Cup semi-finals

By Courtsider

Two lost opening sets left Italy with work to do; two recoveries sent them into the FIP World Cup 2026 men’s semi-finals. Their 2-0 victory over Sweden in Doha on Thursday 5 November concealed the resistance they had to overcome, with both completed rubbers going to a third set.

Flavio Abbate and Alvaro Montiel recovered from losing the opening set on a tie-break to beat Albin Olsson and Douglas Rutgersson 6-7 6-3 6-2. That gave Italy the first point, but no shortcut through the second match. Aris Patiniotis and Giulio Graziotti dropped their opening set against Willy Slaryd and Adam Axelsson before turning the rubber around, winning 2-6 6-2 6-4.

For Sweden, taking the first set in both matches brought opportunities without producing a point in the national tie. For Italy, the ability to recover twice was the difference between a prolonged quarter-final and a place in the last four secured without playing the third rubber. Their upcoming opponent is Argentina, the defending champions.

Argentina’s own quarter-final ended 3-0 against Germany. Fede Chingotto and Gonza Alfonso won 6-1 6-1 against Agustin Reca and Matthias Wunner; Leo Augsburger and Martin Di Nenno beat Lindmeyer and Fitzon 6-0 6-4; Franco Stupaczuk and Maxi Arce defeated Christian Boehnke and Nick Merten 6-3 6-0. Across the three rubbers, Germany could not take a set.

There was a family connection across the teams: Argentina captain Gaby Reca’s son Agustin was playing for Germany. The national-team setting put father and son on opposite sides of a quarter-final, with Chingotto and Alfonso delivering the Argentine point in Agustin’s match.

Spain also advanced without conceding a set, beating Brazil 2-0. Coki Nieto and Jon Sanz won their rubber 6-2 6-2, before Javi Leal and Arturo Coello secured the second point with a 6-2 6-1 victory. Portugal matched that national tie score against the Netherlands: Miguel and Nuno Deus won 6-2 6-1, then Peu Araujo and Pedro Graça completed the job 6-3 6-4. Spain against Portugal is the other upcoming men’s semi-final.

The quarter-final results therefore produced different routes to the same stage. Italy needed two deciding sets; Spain, Portugal and Argentina won every set they played. Italy, Spain and Portugal did not play their third rubbers, with qualification already settled and both teams agreeing to stop under the regulations.

Elsewhere in the men’s competition, France beat hosts Qatar 2-0 and Mexico defeated the United Arab Emirates by the same tie score. Mexico’s second point required Torre and Amora Hernandez to win 6-4 4-6 7-6, giving the tie a much tighter finish than its overall score suggests. France and Mexico will meet next in the bracket for ninth to 12th place.

Paraguay and Chile also won 2-0, against the United States and Australia respectively, and will face each other in that placement bracket. Those victories keep ninth place within reach; they do not put either nation into the title semi-finals.

In the women’s quarter-finals, Spain beat Sweden 3-0, France defeated the Netherlands 2-0, Argentina overcame Portugal 3-0 and Italy beat Brazil 2-0. France joined the three nations that occupied the podium in 2024. The upcoming women’s title semi-finals are Spain against France and Argentina against Italy, giving Italy a place in the last four of both competitions.

Photo: Italy at the 2026 FIP World Cup. Credit: International Padel Federation (FIP). Source.