The Report
Spain has four Barcelona golds. Mixed doubles is next.
Good morning, pickleballers.
Barcelona has awarded four professional titles, and players representing Spain have shared in every one. Saturday brought the biggest doubles surprise: both leading men’s pairs fell in the semi-finals before Alex Serrano Ruano and Jorge Rodriguez took gold.
Judit Castillo won again, this time beside Hannah Blatt, the opponent she beat in Friday’s singles final. Mixed doubles closes the event today, with Castillo chasing a third title and Zane Navratil still seeking his first Barcelona final.
The men’s final neither leading seed reached.
Serrano Ruano and Rodriguez recovered from an opening-game loss to beat Navratil and Matteo Cugliari 5–11, 11–0, 11–1 in their semi-final. Tom Protzek and Lennard Tebbing removed Grayson Goldin and Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez 11–6, 11–2 in the other.
The Spanish pair then beat Protzek and Tebbing 11–7, 5–11, 11–5 for gold. It was a title won through two different tests: a dramatic semi-final recovery and a three-game championship match.
Read today’s Barcelona reportCastillo and Blatt finish the story they started on Friday.
Castillo beat Blatt for singles gold on Friday. On Saturday, they won together, defeating Olivia McMillan and Katie Morris 11–8, 5–11, 11–5 in the women’s doubles final.
Blatt gained a gold medal after her singles silver, while Castillo became a two-title champion. The men’s singles finalists also paired up, but Medina Alvarez and Goldin fell one match short of the doubles final.
Catch up on Friday’s singles finalsA third gold for Castillo, or a first final for Navratil?
Castillo partners Navratil in the final professional draw of the Barcelona Open. She enters with singles and women’s doubles gold. His singles campaign ended in the quarter-finals and his men’s doubles run in the semi-finals, making mixed his remaining chance to reach a final here.
Friday’s singles silver medallists Blatt and Goldin play together. Medina Alvarez joins McMillan, while Saturday’s doubles runners-up Protzek and Morris form another pair. The tournament lists professional mixed doubles from 9:00 am Barcelona time. Follow the draw for confirmed opponents and results as play develops.
Follow the official Barcelona drawFour numbers before mixed begins
4 Professional titles awarded so far, all involving players representing Spain. 2 Leading men’s doubles seeds eliminated in Saturday’s semi-finals. 11–0 Middle game won by Serrano Ruano and Rodriguez in their semi-final comeback. 2 Gold medals Castillo brings into Sunday’s mixed doubles competition.The wider picture
Before Barcelona began. We asked whether the new European tour’s field could challenge its leading entrants. Saturday’s men’s doubles draw gave that question another answer.
Read WPM’s five-draw Barcelona preview →
Next week in Las Vegas. Anna Leigh Waters enters the Rate Las Vegas Open on 198 PPA Tour titles, with several partnerships from Arizona facing another test.
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