Deus Brothers and Orsi-Marchetti Power Into Taranto Semis

France Falls in Both Draws on a Defining Wednesday

Day five of the padel competition at the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto delivered two of the day's sharpest quarterfinal results: Italy powered through in the women's draw and Portugal in the men's, both at the expense of France. The two results made Wednesday — the second and final day of quarterfinals — a tough afternoon for the blue teams from across the Alps.

At Parco Mediterraneo Salinella, Carolina Orsi and Giorgia Marchetti dismantled Lucile Pothier and Louise Bahurel in the women's quarterfinal, winning 6-1, 6-4 in a controlled display. The Italian pair, seeded fourth in the women's draw, had moved through the early rounds without dropping a set and maintained that dominance against a French side that had been among the tournament's more watchable. Orsi, ranked around the world's top 30 on the Premier Padel circuit, was composed throughout and consistently outmanoeuvred the French pair from the back of the court. Italy now carries a clear gold medal ambition into Thursday's semifinals.

Deus Brothers Do It Again — with Royal Witness

The men's quarterfinal between Nuno and Miguel Deus of Portugal and Timéo Fonteny and Yoan Boronad of France attracted a notable guest for the coin toss: Prince Albert II of Monaco, whose presence underscored the cross-Mediterranean prestige the event is accumulating. The match delivered a clear verdict. The Deus brothers, seeded fourth in the men's draw, imposed their rhythm from the opening games and never allowed the French pair to settle. The final score — 6-3, 6-4 — accurately reflected Portugal's control from first to last.

Portugal's men, silver medalists at the FIP Euro Padel Cup 2025, are building a convincing case in Taranto. Miguel Deus has been managing a return from injury in recent months, but showed no sign of limitation across two tidy sets. Nuno and Miguel now advance to Thursday's semifinal, where the draw also features Egypt's Youssef Hossam and Georges Wakim, who made headlines on Tuesday by eliminating Spain's top-seeded pair Pol Hernández and Guille Collado.

Spain's Day Still Playing Out

With the afternoon quarterfinals confirmed, attention turned to the evening session on court. Spain's second pair in the men's draw, José Diestro and David Gala, were scheduled to face Pedro Araújo and Pedro Graça of Portugal in an all-Iberian quarterfinal. In the women's bracket, Lucía Sainz and Patty Llaguno were due to meet Tunisia's Dora Chamli and Nour Allani. The results of those two matches will complete the semifinal lineup for Thursday.

Semis Thursday, Three Golds on Super Friday

The semifinals across all three categories — men's, women's, and mixed — are scheduled for Thursday, 27 August. The medal programme closes on Super Friday, 28 August, beginning with three bronze medal matches and ending with all three gold medal finals. Padel is appearing at the Mediterranean Games as a full medal sport for the first time in history, and with Egypt, Portugal, Italy and potentially Spain all in contention, Taranto 2026 has already produced results that few predicted before the week began.