The first world-class padel tournament to take place in Africa was blighted by two Argentinian players falling ill in worrying scenes, raising questions in some quarters over the safeguards currently in place on the FIP tour. Agustin Gomez Silingo and Martin Di Nenno were both stretchered away during the NEWGIZA Premier Padel P1 in Egypt, suffering with dehydration and sudden gastroenteritis respectively, no doubt overshadowing what should have been a brilliant spectacle.
Silingo, who is ranked no.34 on the World Padel Tour, fell ill suddenly following defeat in his round of 64 match against Javier Barahona and Javier García Mora. With rumours spreading fast around the circuit, his partner Juan Cruz Belluati has since posted on Instagram to clear up the situation.
In the post, Belluati sent a defiant message to those using the incident to create controversy although he did not directly name them. He also admitted that they should probably have retired early in the third set as it was clear that Silingo was suffering with dehydration, but his partner wanted to fight until the end. Silingo’s condition has improved and he is now recovering at home with his family, to prepare for the end of the season.
The other casualty was Di Nenno, who was partnered by Jorge Nieto. The pair had to retire in their round of 32 match after losing the second set. Di Nenno was alarmingly stretchered off, with what is being reported as sudden gastroenteritis.
He seems to have recovered well, as he is already in Dubai for the World Padel Championships. The South American thanked the doctors and tournament organisers for looking after him in an Instagram post.
The two incidents had the potential to tarnish what was billed as a ground-breaking past week, with Premier Padel in Africa for the first time.
By hosting this event, Premier Padel – which is promoted by the International Padel Federation (FIP) and backed by the Professional Players Association (PPA) and Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) – had taken another step forward in its commitment to truly internationalising padel.
While Egypt has a long tradition with other racket sports, especially squash, padel is only just emerging, making this tournament a major step in the right direction. While none of the Egyptian pairs got past their first match, it was a huge positive for them to experience playing against some of the best padel players in the world.
There were much happier scenes on the padel court as Pablo Lima and Franco Stupaczuk became champions P1 after beating top seeds Juan Lebrón and Alejandro Galán in a final fitting to the occasion. Lima and Stupaczuk won the extremely competitive final, which was held in the Cheops Stadium at the NEWGIZA Sports Club, 2-6 7-6(4), 7-6(4) to lift the trophy in Egypt.
The clash lasted over three hours, displaying some outrageous shots, and it was the Brazilian and Argentine’s mentality that won it for them in the end. They simply never gave up, despite being outclassed by the favourites in the first set.
Playing such tough opposition, the chances were always going to be few and far between, which is why it was so important that they took them. Something that Lima was keen to point out, “We had a few chances, but we took them. I’m super happy to win here in Egypt.”
The winning duo were largely unscathed on their way to the final, dropping only one set. Their biggest test came in the quarter final encounter with sixth seeds Jerónimo Gonzáles Luque and Alejandro Ruiz. Like in the final Lima and Stupaczuk lost the first set, coming back to win. The final set could have gone either way, but the third seeds showed their fighting spirit, taking it 7-5.
The pair can add this title to the one that they won in Stupaczuk’s home country of Argentina, which took place in Mendoza back in August. The Argentine suggested that winning in Giza was right up there with that moment, “I thought I had touched the sky in Mendoza, but I’m back up there again.”
Whilst seeing two competitors falling ill put a dampener on the past week for fans, knowing they are both on the mend means they can look back on this event as something special and potentially the start of the growth of padel in Africa. Lima and Stupa undoubtedly revelled in their time in Egypt, and after picking up two major titles in recent months they are starting to create a target on their back.
Premier Padel issued a statement at the time of the incidents. Their spokesman said: “Martin Di Nenno and Agustin Gomez Silingo have fallen ill during the #NEWGIZAPremierPadelP1 and are being monitored closely by medical professionals and the tour. We wish them a speedy recovery.
