The Superpibes call, the Chingalan respond. And Rome enjoys the show

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And they leave nothing to chance. As a result, all four of the world's top pairs have reached the semifinals of the BNL Italy Major without dropping a set. After Lebron/Navarro and Coello/Tapia, the warm Roman evening also saw the successes of the other most awaited players: first, the "Superpibes" Franco Stupaczuk and Martin Di Nenno, who claimed their ninth (!) semifinal of the season with a 6-2 6-3 victory in 54 minutes on the Pietrangeli against Lucas Campagnolo and Javi Leal; then the number two pair Ale Galan and Federico Chingotto, who triumphed on the Central court.

After their absence on Thursday due to their opponents Guerrero (injured) and Bautista's withdrawal, the world's number 2 pair returned to action with a 6-3 6-1 win against Alex Arroyo and Eduardo Alonso. The young duo had come off a splendid victory against Sanyo Gutierrez and Maxi Sanchez, but against an in-form duo like the "Chingalan" – who have won three titles this year – they barely lasted over an hour, staying competitive only in the first part of the match. After that, the power (and class) of Galan and the lightning-fast legs of the "ratón" gave them no chance.

"After the South American tour," said Galan, "we had the opportunity to rest and prepare properly for this tournament, which holds beautiful memories for me. I feel the pressure to perform well, to give an amazing crowd the best show possible." "We are enjoying the tournament," added Chingotto, "as well as the great affection from the people. We are super happy with how our partnership is going and how we are growing together, learning from each other." Their goal is yet another final: to achieve it, they will have to beat Di Nenno/Stupaczuk.