Five Key Points: Egypt surprises, Lebron and Yanguas team up and Argentina tests new pairs

The first day of the World Cup has come to an end. 
Here are Padel Alto’s five highlights from the day:

Egypt takes a set against Portugal
Egypt made headlines in today’s matches as Moura Hakim and Laila El Nimr claimed a set against the Portuguese pair Ana Catarina Nogueira and Margarida Fernandes. The set win came in the second women’s match and was a surprising achievement from the Egyptian team.

United Arab Emirates draws reactions
The United Arab Emirates drew reactions when their roster was announced, as several Spanish players are included in the team. Inigo Jofre, Arnau Ayats, and Sergio Icardo are the most recognized players in the team, but there is a clear level difference among players. Today, the team defeated Paraguay, which has a talented squad. Tomorrow, they face Spain, and it will be interesting to see how the players handle the situation.

Lebron and Yanguas
The recent conflict between Lebron and Yanguas gained attention, especially when Lebron raised his shirt in celebration after a win over Yanguas. Now, they are reunited as teammates in Spain’s squad and played together today, joking about the past on Instagram yesterday. Whether they can become a key pair for Spain in a possible final against Argentina remains to be seen.

Stupa and Libaak, as well as Di Nenno and Augsburger, for Argentina
Argentina tested new pairs in today’s match against Italy, with Stupa and Libaak and Di Nenno and Augsburger joining forces. It’s unclear if these pairs are options for key matches, but most indications suggest Stupa and Di Nenno will play together when it counts. Tapia and Chingotto also teamed up, now as World Cup teammates but usually facing each other in Premier Padel finals.

Salazar and Triay return after last year’s split
In late summer 2023, Salazar and Triay went their separate ways, drawing attention and reactions on Instagram. Today, they reunited as a pair and played together once again in the World Cup.