Women's qualifying for the Circus Brussels Padel Open 2022 saw history being written on Tuesday as Swedish ace Amanda Girdo achieved something that had never been done before by any of her compatriots.
She formed one of the four pairing that have punched their ticket to the main draw, which starts on Wednesday in the Belgian capital at the Tour & Taxis.
The YC5 Club featured all qualifying rounds, however, and this is what happened in the four women's finals.
Stellato/Petrelli - Fernández/Hernández
Hailing all the way from pre-qualifying were Italians Emily Stellato and Carolina Petrelli, taking on qualifying's five-seed Ana Fernández and Sandra Hernández.
Despite being the much lower-seeded couple on paper, Stellato and Petrelli were the better side on the twenty by ten. Breaking twice in the first set, it finished 6-2 to the underdogs.
The Italian-Spanish battle continued in the second set, but Stellato and Petrelli withheld a comeback from their rivals valiantly. One break would prove enough for the Italians, who won 6-4 to go through to the main draw. They will face Carla Mesa and Claudia Jensen in the round of 32.
? #LIVESCORE ? MAIN DRAW!
✅ Emily Stellato & Carolina Petrelli ? 6-2 / 6-4 ❌ Fernández / Hernández
? 1/4 Qualy
? YCFIVE
? Data Center > https://t.co/mdO45PqxdO#WPTBrusselsOpen?? pic.twitter.com/cdXXoq8Tr4
— World Padel Tour (@WorldPadelTour) May 3, 2022
Brito/Girdo - Pascual/García
Next up was the Swedish-Argentinian combination of Nelida Brito and Amanda Girdo as they took on one of the top-seeded qualifying pairings in Lourdes Pascual and Carmen García.
Girdo was already in unfamiliar territory being in the qualifying final, something she had never achieved prior. Next to Brito, however, the couple looked unfazed by it all, and went right at the rankings' favourite in the match.
Winning the first set 6-3, they repeated with another 6-3 to go through to the main draw. This makes Amanda Girdo the first-ever Swedish player to qualify for a main draw excluding wildcard placements.
A landmark achievement for one of the biggest padel playing countries in the world, and now, Girdo and Brito will play wildcard Belgians An-Sophie Mestach and Astrid Dierckx at centre court on Wednesday morning. The match will be broadcast live, free and exclusively on World Padel Tour TV!
? #LIVESCORE ? MAIN DRAW!
✅ @NelaBrito & Amanda Girdo ? 6-3 / 6-3 ❌ Pascual / García
? 1/4 Qualy
? YCFIVE
? Data Center > https://t.co/mdO45PqxdO#WPTBrusselsOpen?? pic.twitter.com/wKYwhlcUsR
— World Padel Tour (@WorldPadelTour) May 3, 2022
Barrera/Caparros - Pujals/Traviesa
The third qualifying match saw Marta Barrera and Marta Caparros take on pre-qualifiers Sara Pujals and Nicole Traviesa at the YC5 Club.
Barrera and Caparros were favourites going into the match and stayed favourites when it began, taking a quick break and running away with the set 6-3.
The two Marta's kept up their intensity and struck gold again in the second set, Traviesa and Pujals not quite able to get a way back in, and it finished with a double 6-3.
? #LIVESCORE ? MAIN DRAW!
✅ Claudia Fernández & Julieta Bidahorria ? 6-2 / 6-3 ❌ Merino / Alonso
? 1/4 Qualy
? YCFIVE
? Data Center > https://t.co/mdO45PqxdO#WPTBrusselsOpen?? pic.twitter.com/hV0wSMZADk
— World Padel Tour (@WorldPadelTour) May 3, 2022
Fernandez/Bidahorria - Merino/Alonso
Finally, Melania Merino and Lorena Alonso took on Claudia Fernandez and Julieta Bidahorria for a place among the best in the main draw.
Fernandez and Bidahorria were better from the get-go, taking a quick break and adding another to win 6-2 in the opening set.
Following it up with more good padel in the second frame, they again took the lead and held onto it. It finished 6-2 6-3 to put Bidahorria and Fernandez through.
They play Mapi and Majo Sánchez Alayeto on Wednesday.
? #LIVESCORE ? MAIN DRAW!
✅ @maarta_caparros & Marta Barrera ? 6-3 / 6-3 ❌ Pujals / Traviesa
? 1/4 Qualy
? YCFIVE
? Data Center > https://t.co/mdO45PqxdO#WPTBrusselsOpen?? pic.twitter.com/r9OxR7v2HZ
— World Padel Tour (@WorldPadelTour) May 3, 2022