Kuwait Major: Rodríguez and Dal Pozzo Win Three-Hour Battle

Nuria Rodríguez and Giulia Dal Pozzo produced the upset of the women's round of 16 at the Premier Padel Kuwait Major on Wednesday, 28 October. The Spanish-Italian pair knocked out seventh seeds Marina Guinart and Alejandra Alonso 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted close to three hours, the longest of the day at The Arena Kuwait.

From a lost tie-break to a commanding finish

The opening set went the distance and ended in a tight tie-break, which Guinart and Alonso won 9-7. Rather than fading after such a long first set, Rodríguez and Dal Pozzo grew into the match. They took control of the second set 6-3 and kept the momentum through the decider, which they claimed 6-2 to complete the comeback.

Spanish outlet PadelSpain described the result as a "sorpasso", the Italian word for overtaking, fitting for a partnership in which Dal Pozzo is one of Italy's leading players on the professional tour. The win sends the pair into a Major quarter-final, where the challenge gets considerably tougher.

Favourites advance without dropping a set

The rest of the top of the draw held firm. Gemma Triay and Delfina Brea were ruthless in a 6-0, 6-1 win over Marta Talavan and Saiz, while Paula Josemaria and Beatriz González lost just one game against Jana Montes and Marta Barrera, winning 6-1, 6-0. Ariana Sánchez and Andrea Ustero, champions at the Paris Major in September, beat Martina Fassio and Verónica Virseda 6-2, 6-1.

Two seeded pairs had to work much harder. Fourth seeds Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo beat Jimena Velasco and Raquel Eugenio 6-4, 7-6 against a duo that had recently won the FIP Gold event in Melilla. Fifth seeds Marta Ortega and Sofia Araujo dropped the second set after a 6-0 opener against Carolina Orsi and Patricia Llaguno, before closing out 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.

Kuwait Major: Sánchez and Ustero Survive Near-Three-Hour Battle

Tamara Icardo and Claudia Jensen beat Beatriz Caldera and Carmen Goenaga 7-6, 6-1, and Lorena Rufo and Victoria Iglesias ended the run of Bidahorria and Virginia Riera, 6-2, 6-2. Bidahorria and Riera had eliminated Alejandra Salazar and Aranzazu Osoro in the previous round.

Quarter-final line-up

The women's quarter-finals take place today, Thursday 29 October. Sánchez and Ustero open the Centre Court programme at 12:00 Spanish time against Icardo and Jensen. Rodríguez and Dal Pozzo face the toughest possible assignment against Triay and Brea, also on Centre Court, while on Court 1 Rufo and Iglesias meet Josemaria and González at around 14:00, followed by a duel between the fourth and fifth seeds, Fernández/Calvo against Ortega/Araujo, at around 16:00.

Triay and Brea already won the Italy Major in June, while Sánchez and Ustero claimed the title in Paris. With the season's final Major in Mexico scheduled for 23-29 November and the Premier Padel Finals in December, the Kuwait title on Saturday, 31 October, carries significant weight in the race for the end-of-season rankings.