Lebron/Stupa, into the quarters with a scare. Chingalan cruise through

The win is there, but the performance isn't — not by a long shot. The 6-3 4-6 6-3 win for Juan Lebron and Franco Stupaczuk over Javi Garcia and Javi Barahona in the Round of 16 at the BNL Italy Major left one clear impression: if the world No. 3 duo wants to aim for their first big title together, they need to raise their game — a lot. And above all, they can't afford certain lapses in focus, like the one in the 10th game of the second set that cost them a break and forced a decider. Nor the many scattered mistakes throughout the two-hour match where they rarely looked dominant.

In fact, if Barahona hadn’t missed an open-net volley for a 2-0 lead in the third, Lebron and Stupa might have had to chase the match from behind, and the Roman Major could have seen its first big upset of 2025. But the Spaniard’s error into the net served as a wake-up call, and the No. 3 seeds responded with a crucial break right after, holding on — not without tension — to close it out. Still, the match on Centrale raised more doubts than confidence, not the ideal preparation for Friday’s test against the world No. 5 pair, Jon Sanz and Momo Gonzalez, who beat Maxi Sanchez and Alex Ruiz 6-4 6-4, spoiling the latter’s 31st birthday.

Unlike Lebron and Stupa, defending champions Ale Galan and Federico Chingotto had no trouble, advancing to the quarters after a 47-minute stroll against Denis Perino and Mario Huete, lucky losers in the draw. The physical and mental toll from Wednesday clearly caught up with the underdogs, who lost 6-0 6-2 against an opponent who didn’t give them an inch. Next up for Chingalan on Friday: the world No. 12 team, Alex Arroyo and Inigo Jofre — the Spaniard now representing the UAE — who earlier ousted Campagnolo/Sager, unable to repeat their upset over Cardona/Augsburger.