FIP Promotion India Padel Open: Indo-Iranian pair of Tulsi Mehta and Banafsheh Moradi Shahpar qualified for the semi-finals of the FIP Promotion India Padel Open after defeating the Indian pair of Mahek Advani and Navya Loshali in the quarter-final match at Bennett University on Saturday (November 23).

Tulsi-Banfsheh won in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 to secure a place in the semi-finals. In the last 4 stages, they will face the Spanish team of Anise Santamaria Landa and Aitana Solan Domenech. Earlier, the Spanish pair defeated the Indian pair of Vaibhavi Deshmukh and Jenai Sanghai 6-0, 6-1 in the quarter-finals.

Tulsi Mehta and Banafsheh Moradi Shahpar are both currently ranked 954 in the world and will be eyeing to beat the 172nd-ranked Spanish team and reach the final.

Bennett University is making history in different ways, and has come up as the host of India's first international paddle tournament. The four-day tournament began on November 21 and will end on November 24.

The CUPRA FIP India Tour 2024 is another tremendous success for the CUPRA FIP Tour calendar, with India joining the countries selected by the International Padel Federation (FIP) to host the tour.

Padel is in its nascent stage in India and through the FIP Promotion India tournament, it is expected to gain more prominence and pave the way for further expansion into mainstream acceptance across the country. So far cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai have emerged as major hubs for players and emerging talent. The sport originated in Mexico and has quickly become popular in Europe and Latin America and is one of the fastest-growing sports globally.