Great Britain showcased its growing stature on the FIP world padel tour over the weekend with a title for Tia Norton, a second straight final for Christian Medina Murphy and semi-finals for Sam Jones and Aimee Gibson.
GB No.2 Tia partnered once again with Dutchwoman Stephanie Weterings, the world no.89, at FIP Promotion Sportclub Houten II in the Netherlands – and they dropped just one set en route to the title.
Going in as top seeds, Tia and Stephanie were pegged back in their quarter-final against Puck Bernard and Tess De Vocht before winning 6-2 4-6 6-4. They then lost just a single game in dispatching Leire Medina and Avalon Segou Jonker 6-1 6-0 in the semis. In the final, they faced Dutch pair Maaike Betz (world No.137) and Janine Hemmes (147) and triumphed 6-3 6-1.
Since Tia and Stephanie teamed up in mid-September, they have reached the final at FIP Rise Sassuolo in Italy, the quarters in Stratford, London (where they lost to the eventual winners) and now the title in Houten.
In the men’s draw in Houten, GB’s Sam Jones reached the semi-finals alongside Holland’s Thijs Roper, the world No.180. The second seeds unfortunately went down to third-seeded pair Sten Richters and Bram Meijer, who went on to win the title.
Meanwhile, GB’s No.1 male player, Christian Medina Murphy, travelled to Santiago, Chile, with Spanish partner Alberto Jimenez, the world No.150, and started the week as top seeds.
After a couple of routine early-round matches, they went a set down to Joaquin Terceros and Gonzalo Valdiviesco Comesana in the semi-finals, but won the second to love and the decider on a tie-break. That set up a final with Argentine duo Manuel Gayone and Juan Ignacio Rubini which they unfortunately lost 6-4 6-2.
It was the second successive final for Christian and Alberto, who won FIP Rise Stratford on Christian’s home soil in east London the previous weekend.
At the FIP Promotion event at Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Villena, Spain, GB No.1 Aimee Gibson reached her 10th semi-final of the year – and her second in successive weekends.
Partnering Portugal’s Clarinha Santos as third seeds, they went down to second seeds Carla Fernandez Gonzalez of Spain and Rosalie van der Hoek of the Netherlands 6-3 6-1.
