The semi-finals of the CUPRA Germany Premier Padel P2 came to an end shortly after midnight on Sunday, with Ari Sánchez - Andrea Ustero once again proving that they are the most in-form women’s team on Tour as they climbed to second place in the FIP Race, while Franco Stupaczuk - Jon Sanz defeated Chingalán for the second time in a row to reach their third straight final.

Sánchez - Ustero Are the Team to Beat

The Spanish team are in great shape and they proved it once again against the FIP Ranking’s No.1, Gemma Triay - Delfi Brea. It was the eleventh meeting between the two teams this season, with Sánchez - Ustero getting the win to move closer to levelling the head-to-head record (5-6).

The team coached by Ángel González once again shone on the court, battling to a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory. Brea - Triay showed tremendous fighting spirit, saving five match points along the way. However, Sánchez - Ustero finally got the job done on their sixth match ball, securing at least 360 FIP Race points each this week and climbing to second place in the standings ahead of Perlamita.

“I want to congratulate Gemma and Delfi. They always push us to the limit, make us suffer and force us to bring out our best level. Ari showed again today that she is a true world No. 1,” said Ustero after the match.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have won this match. We suffered, we fought until the very end, and victories like this mean a lot. Now it’s time to rest because tomorrow we’ll have another very tough final,” Sánchez said.

On Sunday, they will face Claudia Fernández - Martina Calvo (#4), whom they defeated emphatically in the Paris Major final (6-2, 6-0). The Prodigy Girls have been performing at an incredible level since joining forces at the end of July: they have reached at least the semi-finals at all six tournaments they have played, winning the London title and finishing runner-up in Pretoria and Roland Garros.

They opened the semi-finals day with a thrilling battle against Bea González - Paula Josemaría that went beyond the three-hour mark, making it the longest match of the day. The result could easily have gone Perlamita’s way, but Fernández - Calvo were more clinical at the key moments to prevail 6-4, 5-7, 7-6. They even had to overcome two match points against them before celebrating the victory.

It is also worth highlighting the sporting gesture from González - Josemaría in the deciding tie-break, when they ‘gave’ a point to their opponents after a close call. One of those moments that transcend the court and showcase the sportsmanship of both players.

“They are one of the teams that show the most respect and professionalism. What they did today deserves huge admiration. I want to congratulate them for the way they are,” said Fernández after the match.

Stupaczuk - Sanz Shock the No. 2 Again

The No.4 seeds will play their third consecutive final, following their runner-up finishes at FIP Platinum Lyon and the Rotterdam P2. Stupaczuk - Sanz once again produced an outstanding performance to defeat Ale Galán - Fede Chingotto, who had already fallen to them last week in Rotterdam.

Chingalán were caught off guard by the electric team coached by Cristian Arias, who 'flew' around the court. After saving several break points in the opening set, Stupaczuk - Sanz took control by winning the tie-break 7-3 and continued to frustrate their opponents in the second set, racing into a 5-2, 0-40 lead on return.

Galán - Chingotto refused to go away, saving four match points and earning a chance to level the set at 5-5 with their serve. However, they could not close the match and Stupaczuk - Sanz once again came through in straight sets (7-6, 6-4), just as they had done a few days ago in Dutch soil.

As a result, Stupa and Sanz will play another final in a tournament that has been particularly important for them after strengthening their status as the No. 4 seeds by defeating their closest challengers, Paquito Navarro - Martín Di Nenno (#5), in the quarter-finals.

“It’s incredibly difficult to beat Ale and Fede. Today they came very close to getting back into the match. We stayed mentally strong at 5-4, found that mental strength as a team, kept playing our padel and it paid off. We’re becoming a great team, and we’re going to play on a Sunday for the third consecutive week. I want to highlight the work of everyone in our team. Sometimes we suffer, and they are always there. There’s no room left for anyone who wants to jump on the boat; the ones who were there are the ones who will stay,” said an exhausted Stupa.

He and Sanz will now contest their second consecutive final against Agustín Tapia - Arturo Coello (#1), who also got the job done. The Golden Boys once again defeated Juan Lebrón - Leo Augsburger (#3), extending their lead in the head-to-head record to 8-1.

After taking the opening set 6-2, their opponents raised their level in the second and earned three break points at 2-2. However, Tapia and Coello showed exactly why they are the No. 1 team, saving all three break points to hold serve before breaking Leburger in the following game and cruising to victory (6-3).

“We put in a huge amount of work every week to find the motivation that allows us to win matches and reach finals. We’re very good at keeping that hunger to win every match and keep improving. When it’s time to put our heads down and work, we do it. There are moments when we play well, and we have to enjoy them too,” said the Mozart of Catamarca in his post-match interview.

Everything Is Set for the Finals

Here is the order of play for the biggest day of the Germany P2, when the champions will be crowned at Castello Düsseldorf:

Starting at 2.00 pm (CEST)

Sánchez - Ustero (#3) vs Fernández - Calvo (#4)

Not before 4.00 pm (CEST)

Tapia - Coello (#1) vs Stupaczuk - Sanz (#4)