After the 2-1 victory against the United States in the opening round, the women’s national team took to the court to confirm their favoritism in Group D, this time against Paraguay.
Sofia Araújo and Alexandra Silva were the first to take action, facing Olga Bareiro and Verónica Cepede. The Portuguese pair took the initiative from the early stages of the match and ended up closing the game 6-0, 6-3, thus earning the first point of the day.
The second match was marked by the debut of Simone Simas and Kika Santos with the senior national team. On this occasion, coach Zé Pires da Silva chose to rest Ana Catarina Nogueira and Andrea Achando, giving the opportunity to two new players and thereby completing the participation of the eight called-up players.
Despite the responsibility that the debut entailed, the newcomers responded competently against Fátima Kudo and Camila Miranda. In two sets, with a convincing 6-0 and 6-3, Simone Simas and Kika Santos secured the second point of the tie.
With this result, the Portuguese women’s delegation secured their place in the quarterfinals. To close the day, Patrícia Ribeiro and Clarinha Santos took to the court to face Alejandra García and Jaydi Pérez. The match could not have ended better: a straight-sets victory, with a commanding double 6-2, and an flawless day for Portugal.
On Wednesday‘s matchday, Portugal will face the Netherlands starting at 12:00 (Spanish mainland time). Both teams currently lead Group D with four points, so the encounter will be decisive in establishing the final ranking and the quarter-final matchups.
The top two delegations from Group D will facethe top two fromGroup B, led by Argentina. If Portugal finishes first in the group, it will face France in the next round. Otherwise, if the Netherlands reaches the top, the Portuguese team will have to face Argentina.
Results of day 2 – Group D:
| Match 1 |
Players |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
| Portugal |
Sofia Araújo / Alexandra Silva |
6 |
6 |
– |
| Paraguay |
Olga Bareiro / Veronica Cepede |
0 |
3 |
– |
| Match 2 |
Players |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
| Portugal |
Simone Simas / Kika Santos
|
6 |
6 |
– |
| Paraguay |
Fátima Kudo / Camila Miranda |
0 |
3 |
– |
| Match 3 |
Players |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
| Portugal |
Patrícia Ribeiro / Clarinha Santos |
6 |
6 |
– |
| Paraguay |
Alejandra García / Jaydi Pérez |
2 |
2 |
– |