FIP Asia Padel Cup: Bahrain, China, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Kazakhstan off to winning starts

Bahrain, China, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan won their Group matches in the men's section of the FIP Asia Padel Cup while Lebanon, Indonesia, UAE and Saudi Arabia won their respective group matches in the women's section on the first day of the seven-day championship which kicked off at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha on Friday evening.

In the men's section, Bahrain playing on Grandstand 1 overcame a spirited challenge of Indonesia in Group A to start off their campaign on an emphatic note and keep themselves ahead in the race to qualify for the last-eight stage of the championship.

Kuwait is the third team in Group A.

In the other results of the men's section, in Group B, China defeated Thailand 3-0 to keep them ahead of the qualifying race, Pakistan is the third team in the group and will start their campaign on Saturday.

In Group C, Saudi Arabia overcame South Korea 3-0 to make a successful start to their campaign, Jordan is the third team in the group, while in Group D, Kazakhstan defeated Philippines 3-0 to make a strong start to the campaign while in the same group, Lebanon defeated Japan 2-1.

Only one team from each of the four men's groups will qualify for the last-eight stage where they join four other countries UAE, Qatar, Australia, and Iran, having qualified for the last-eight based on the FIP Ranking.

Women's Section

In the women's section, Lebanon, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and UAE were off to winning starts in their respective group matches.

Hosts Qatar gave a spirited fight but went down fighting 3-0 to Lebanon in the Group A match. The other team in Group A is Thailand.

In the other results, in Group B Indonesia defeated Kuwait 3-0, the other team in Group B is Bahrain. In Group C, UAE got the better of Pakistan 2-1 and in Group C, Saudi Arabia overcame China 2-1.

The group leaders from each of the groups will qualify for the last-eight stage where they will be joined by Australia, Japan, Iran, and the Philippines who have already qualified for the Final 8 on virtue of their FIP rankings.

Saturday's Matches (Start at 1.30pm)

Men's Section
Group A: Kuwait vs Bahrain
Group B: Pakistan vs China
Group C: Jordan vs Saudi Arabia
Group D: Japan vs Kazakhstan
Group D: Philippines vs Lebanon

Women's Section
Group A: Thailand vs Qatar
Group B: Bahrain vs Indonesia
Group C: UAE vs China
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Pakistan

Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex

Teams Participation

Seventeen teams compete in the men’s tournament: Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, UAE, Qatar, Australia, and Iran.

In the women’s category, there are 14 teams: Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, UAE, Qatar, Japan, Australia, Philippines, and Iran.

The initial phase runs from October 17–19, with the top teams from each group advancing to the Final 8, scheduled for October 20–24.

Results

Men's Results
Group A: Bahrain bt Indonesia 3-0
Group B: China bt Thailand 3-0
Group C: Saudi Arabia bt South Korea 3-0
Group D: Kazakhstan bt Philippines 3-0
Group D: Lebanon bt Japan 2-1

Women's Results
Group A: Lebanon bt Qatar 3-0
Group B: Indonesia bt Kuwait 3-0
Group C: UAE bt Pakistan 2-1
Group C: Saudi Arabia bt China 2-1