World Cup: Unbeaten Italy and Sweden Set Up Doha Group Decider

Two of Europe's strongest padel nations will settle the top of their group head to head on Wednesday in Doha. After two rounds of the FIP World Cup, Italy and Sweden are both unbeaten in women's Group C and already through to the quarter-finals, while Italy's men have also booked their last-eight place and Sweden's men face a straight shoot-out with Paraguay.

Italy's women: twelve sets, zero dropped

Italy followed their opening win over Egypt with a 3-0 sweep of Indonesia on Tuesday. Giulia Dal Pozzo and Caterina Baldi did not concede a game against Rosejaya and Armini (6-0, 6-0), Emily Stellato and Giulia Sussarello beat Putria and Gumulya 6-1, 6-0, and Clarissa Aima and Giorgia Marchetti completed the tie 6-2, 6-2 against Sabatini and Rompies. That leaves the Italians with 12 sets won and none lost in the group stage.

"The national team is very strong and united. The girls form a solid group with long-tenured players and two exceptional debuts," assistant coach Saverio Palmieri told Padel Magazine Italia.

Sweden's women make it two from two

Sweden have matched Italy's results, if not their margins. On day one they beat World Cup newcomers Indonesia 3-0, but the FIP noted that the Indonesians won the opening set in two of the three matches before the Swedes recovered. Against Egypt on Tuesday it was 3-0 again: Amanda Girdo and Juni Sjöland needed three sets (6-2, 4-6, 6-1) against El Nimr and Tawfik, Hanna Börjesson and Lisa Andersson won 6-3, 6-2, and Linnea Björk and Ajla Behram finished with a 6-0, 6-0 rout of Hakim and Fathy.

Both teams are guaranteed quarter-final places, so Wednesday's meeting is about seeding: the winner tops Group C and the loser takes second place. Italy have the better set record (12-0 against Sweden's 12-3), while Sweden have already had to come through tighter matches.

Italy's men through after a long interruption

Italy's men also stayed perfect, beating Mexico 3-0 in Group D to reach the quarter-finals alongside Spain, Argentina and Brazil. Abbate and Montiel Caruso edged Torre and Amora Hernández 6-3, 7-6, while Cassetta and Iacovino crushed Jiménez and Barrientos García 6-1, 6-0. The match between Patiniotis and Graziotti and Padilla and Ángel Montoya was suspended for close to an hour after a fall by Montoya broke a net post; the Italians returned to win 6-3, 6-2.

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Brazil, who beat the USA 3-0 on Tuesday, are also 2-0, so Italy against Brazil on Wednesday decides first place in Group D.

Sweden's men: a decider against Paraguay

Sweden's men opened with a 3-0 defeat to Spain, although Slaryd and Axelsson took Miguel Yanguas and Aimar Goñi Lacabe to a third set. They responded with a 3-0 win over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. Paraguay also have one win and one defeat, having beaten the UAE and lost to Spain, which turns Wednesday's Sweden-Paraguay tie, scheduled for 18:00 local time, into a straight fight for second place in Group B behind Spain.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for Thursday 5 November, with the tournament concluding on Saturday 7 November.