By RJ Mitchell
IT has been a ‘Super Saturday’ at the FIP Rise London Open padel tournament with three British internationals set to feature in the semi-finals tomorrow.
First through to the last four was Hansie Ruddick and partner Ivet Val Lopez after they initially dispatched former British tennis No.1 Laura Robson and partner Sian Bayliss 6-1, 6-0 in their opening round in just 32 minutes, before backing that up with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Helen Crook and Joanne Ward.
Next up was GB men’s No.1 Christian Medina Murphy and sidekick Javi Navarro who survived a torrid three-set quarter – final in just under two gruelling hours to come from behind to win 7-5 in the third set against Ethan Gonzalez Herrera and Borja Truillo Chang.
Then GB women’s No.1 Tia Norton and partner Carla Fito Fernandez thrashed Lisa Phillips and Abigail Tordoff for the loss of just one game to make it safely through to the last four.
For GB men’s No.1 Murphy it has proven a tough road to the semis: “We have had two really hard three set matches to make the semis and it couldn’t have been tougher but we got there and now we must look forward.
“I think our second round was 1hr 38 minutes and then the quarters were 1hr 25 minutes and we are certainly battle hardened and that is what you want with everything sharp and as a pair myself and Javi are match tight.
“But now we have Meijer and Richters and that will be really tough. So what is important is to fuel up with plenty of pasta at a good restaurant tonight and then some proper rest.
“I am really proud to be through to the semi-finals of the first fully professional tournament in the UK and now Javi and I are there we want to go the whole way!”
Meanwhile GB international Hansie Ruddick and partner Ivet Val Lopez plotted a convincing course to the semi-finals after a case of plain sailing saw them drop just three games in their first two matches.
Ruddick & Lopez destroyed the ex-tennis pairing of former GB No.1 Laura Robson and partner Sian Bayliss 6-1, 6-0 in their opening round in just 32 minutes before backing that up with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Helen Crook and Joanne Ward.
Leaving Ruddick to reflect: “I think with the opening match against Laura and Sian then obviously they are making the transition to padel and in these terms they are novices and are still learning the why, when, and where of padel and we were able to exploit their inexperience.
“Similarly in the last-16 we faced another tennis orientated partnership albeit one of more experience in padel terms and it was interesting how they tried to slow the pace and break our rhythm but we got the job done.”
However ahead of tomorrow’s semi, Ruddick was keen to pay a grateful thanks to LTA physio Laura Gardner after a badly blistered foot almost ruined her hopes and she revealed: “Basically I had very little skin left on the soles of my feet and if it weren’t for Laura’s work I’d have been lucky to play the second-round match.
“So I’d like to say a huge thanks to Laura and hopefully the work she did tonight will help me get through tomorrow.”
Tia Norton and partner Fernandez are also through to the last four and Norton is delighted to be there fresh after having dropped just one game in two matches: “The deeper you go in tournaments the more important it is to make sure you are conserving energy and we have done that well so far,” said Norton.
The GB Ladies No.1 added: “We have been very consistent and focussed over our first two matches and that has been important in the way things have worked out and now it is just about making sure we are fresh and ready to go in the morning.
“I am very excited to be here competing at the NTC and I just want to complement the LTA on the tremendous job they have done on putting the first ever London Padel Open on.
“From our point of view we have put ourselves in a very good position but all that matters is the next match, What is crucial here is that we don’t look beyond the semi.
“We know that we are facing the No.4 seeds (Barsotti and Invernon) and that will be a very testing match and we are going to have to lift our standard and really focus.
“It is great we have made it to the last four fresh but now we are here this is where the hard work begins.”
For up-to-date scores visit the LTA website.
