IT was a case of mixed fortunes for the Team GB sides as the draws for the World Padel Championships European qualifiers have been made public.
Alvaro Guerrero’s women’s team have been placed in Group C with Austria and Lithuania and will surely start as favourites to progress to a shootout with the winners of Group C which comprises of Sweden, Estonia, and Norway.
On paper the Swedes seem the strongest from this group especially since they have recently recruited the WPT 25th ranked Carolina Navarro from Spain via marriage.
Should Tia Norton & co face the Swedes in the semis, it will be a straight shoot-out for one of the two qualification places for Qatar – where they would surely back themselves to prevail.
In the men’s draw the ominous presence of the unseeded qualification favourites Portugal could block the way for John Leach’s men.
Team GB gents are seeded third and are top ranked in Group B ahead of Austria and Hungary but while the Brit boys will be favourites to make it through to a last four shoot-out, it is there that the Portuguese menace is likely to lay in wait.
For the Group B winners will face the winners of the tie between Group D & Group E with the latter almost certainly to be the Miguel Oliveira-inspired Portuguese.
However in a worst-case scenario Team GB would have an escape route via the third qualification place up for grabs and decided via the third v fourth play-off tie.
One thing is for sure and that is the eyes of all padel aficionados in the UK will be on Derby this weekend where progress for both sides is vital if the feelgood factor and momentum generated from the recent FIP Rise London Open is to be maintained.
More information on the event can be found here.
