Luna and Meléndez make it two titles in a week at FIP Bronze Taunton
The Spanish pair win a tense final in Somerset, while Louie Harris and Alex Loughlan lead the British charge to the quarter-finals.
The CUPRA FIP Tour stopped in Somerset this week, and the FIP Bronze EWH City Padel Taunton ended with a familiar result: Dani Luna and Pedro Meléndez lifting another trophy.
Men's final: a scrap to the finish
The top seeds had won the FIP Bronze in Alkmaar, in the Netherlands, only the week before. In Taunton they beat José Román Martínez Sanchis and Adrián Molina López 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals, then needed three sets to get past Henrique Barbosa and Marco Remolina Pablo in Sunday's final, winning 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
According to the FIP, it takes Luna to six career CUPRA FIP Tour titles and Meléndez to seven. "Closing out the final was difficult, but winning in this way makes it even more satisfying," Meléndez said afterwards.
Women's final: Ferrán and Martín in control
Third seeds Paula Ferrán and Susana Martín didn't drop a set over the business end of the event. They beat Janine Hemmes and Stephanie Weterings 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals and then saw off Portugal's Constança Gorito and Catarina Santos 6-2, 6-2 for the title.
How the British players got on
A home event gives British players a rare chance at FIP ranking points without the travel. According to Padel Mad's weekly round-up, the best home run came from Louie Harris and Alex Loughlan, who won two matches to reach the quarter-finals. There they took the first set against Martínez Sanchis and Molina López before losing in three.
GB No.1 Christian Medina Murphy, partnering Alberto García, went out in the round of 16 to the eventual finalists Barbosa and Remolina Pablo. Alfonso Patacho and Ben Phillips also fell at that stage, to Samuel Alós and Vasco Pascoal.
In the women's draw, Victoria Nicholas and Alice Keddie won a tight opener in three sets before losing another three-setter to the eventual semi-finalists Felicitas Darboure and Zoe Benítez. Chloe De La Mare and Ainhoa Rico won their first match 6-0, 6-0, then lost to fifth seeds María Delgado and Mar Munera.
Not a breakthrough week for the Brits, then, but a quarter-final and a couple of competitive exits on home soil is something to build on.
