VALENCIA/STARNBERG, May 11, 2026
The tennis action has officially begun in Valencia with the start of the qualifying rounds for the latest edition of the Copa Faulconbridge, marking the opening of a highly anticipated tournament week. Sixteen players are competing for just four spots in the main draw, including six Spanish players hoping to shine in front of home fans.
Carlos Sanchez Jover delivered one of the standout performances of the opening day at the ATP Challenger 175 event, defeating Switzerland’s Remy Bertola 7–5, 6–1 in a solid and controlled display. He was joined in success by Alejo Sanchez Quilez, who battled back from a set down to overcome China’s Fajing Sun in a tight three-set match, winning 6–7, 6–2, 6–3 and keeping Spanish hopes strong in the draw.
However, not all home players enjoyed the same success. Sergi Fita Juan fell to Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 6–3, 6–2, while wildcard entrants Mario Mansilla and Alejandro Juan Mano were both defeated by Stefan Kozlov and Henri Squire respectively. Carlos Lopez Montagud came close to forcing a deciding set but ultimately lost in two close sets against Timofey Skatov 6–4, 7–6.
Attention now shifts to Tuesday’s schedule, where the spotlight will fall heavily on Bernabe Zapata Miralles. The Valencian player, who has announced he will retire from singles competition at just 29 years old, is set to play what could be one of the final singles matches of his career. He faces in-form Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, who has made a rapid rise inside the top 100 over the past year.
Este es el Orden de juego del martes 12 de mayo 🔛
Partidazos desde primera hora en la Copa Faulconbridge 🔥
Struff, Carballés, Carreño, Báez y muchos más ya pisan la pista.
🎟️ Todavía hay entradas disponibles en nuestra web!
🙌 Nos vemos en la pista pic.twitter.com/ajOVjrNGqP
— Copa Faulconbridge (@copafbvalencia) May 11, 2026
