PREMATCH – SILVER READING 31JAN26

Eight groups. Three pairs per group. Two matches each. It’s the kind of format that rewards ruthless efficiency: start well, bank the points, and keep your nerve for the knockout window later in the day.

THE SHAPE OF THE DAY – R2L SILVER

This is a format that doesn’t do second chances. Three pairs per group, two matches each: win early and you’re in control; lose once and you’re suddenly scoreboard-watching. The morning groups sprint through 10:00–11:30, the afternoon block follows 12:15–13:45, and then it’s straight into the knockout conveyor belt from 14:30.

The seeds set the tone, but in a three-team group the label only buys you attention, not points. Joel Oyedele / Zechariah Oyedele [1] carry the headline. Behind them, Hodgins/Holt [2] and Palling/Pontin [7] bring pace and ambition, while the mid-table seeds look built for the long rallies and the tight moments when the day stops being about style and starts being about survival.

THE SEEDS: WHO’S WHO

The numbers give you a map, not a verdict — but they do hint at where the sharp edges are. The top line is heavy on junior-pathway talent and county-circuit match practice: quick starts, aggressive patterns, and very little interest in “feeling their way into the day”.

Joel Oyedele / Zechariah Oyedele [1] — the headline seeds, a junior-pathway pairing with international junior listings.

Joshua Hodgins / Ethan Holt [2] — the development-pipeline seed: junior programme pedigree, FIP Promises experience, and the pace to turn groups into a sprint.

Marcus Beauchamp / Nicholas Walters [3] — familiar names on UK competition schedules; a pair that looks comfortable in tight, “one-break” matches.

Alex Crisp / Conor Keogh [4] — county-circuit steel and club-finals exposure: expect controlled patterns and pressure-point composure.

Pablo Calatayud / Matthew Fader [5] — county championship runners-up: the kind of pair that doesn’t donate points and doesn’t go away.

Thomas Dutton / Jonathan Whitehead [6] — coaching structure meets match play: disciplined decisions, clear patterns, and a willingness to win ugly if needed.

Charlie Palling / Matteo Pontin [7] — junior-ranking names with FIP visibility: explosive if they land their first serves and start fast.

Matthew Fretwell / Ryan Williams [8] — team-competition hardened: built for the stop-start rhythm of a full day and the nerve of late pressure.

GROUP STAGE — ORDER OF PLAY

10:00

• Group A: Joel Oyedele / Zechariah Oyedele vs James Clemmow / Lian Meyer
• Group B: Luke Reynolds / Tim Barkey vs Jordan Emmerson / Jose Gomez
• Group G: Rudi Beerensson / Ryan Williams vs Nahid Ali / Ashvath Kumar
• Group H: Cristian Aldaz / Javier Nicolas Aldaz vs Lewis Atkinson / Gary Hales

10:45

• Group A: Joel Oyedele / Zechariah Oyedele vs Brendan Kilcawley / Tom Moss Mccrory
• Group B: Joshua Hodgins / Ethan Holt vs Luke Reynolds / Tim Barkey
• Group G: Charlie Palling / Matteo Pontin vs Rudi Beerensson / Ryan Williams
• Group H: Matthew Fretwell / Ryan Williams vs Cristian Aldaz / Javier Nicolas Aldaz

11:30

• Group A: James Clemmow / Lian Meyer vs Brendan Kilcawley / Tom Moss Mccrory
• Group B: Joshua Hodgins / Ethan Holt vs Jordan Emmerson / Jose Gomez
• Group G: Charlie Palling / Matteo Pontin vs Nahid Ali / Ashvath Kumar
• Group H: Matthew Fretwell / Ryan Williams vs Lewis Atkinson / Gary Hales

12:15

• Group C: James Kendle / Ben Wilding vs Josh Clark / Jonny Vieira
• Group D: James Parman / Marcus Stone vs Israr Aslam / Adnan Rifan
• Group E: Tom Liddamore / Zander Michael vs Billy Daniels / Jamie Wyatt
• Group F: Simo Benmansour / Samuel De Haan vs Bradley Burnett-Smith / George Farrelly

13:00

• Group C: Marcus Beauchamp / Nicholas Walters vs James Kendle / Ben Wilding
• Group D: Alex Crisp / Conor Keogh vs James Parman / Marcus Stone
• Group E: Pablo Calatayud / Matthew Fader vs Tom Liddamore / Zander Michael
• Group F: Thomas Dutton / Jonathan Whitehead vs Simo Benmansour / Samuel De Haan

13:45

• Group C: Marcus Beauchamp / Nicholas Walters vs Josh Clark / Jonny Vieira
• Group D: Alex Crisp / Conor Keogh vs Israr Aslam / Adnan Rifan
• Group E: Pablo Calatayud / Matthew Fader vs Billy Daniels / Jamie Wyatt
• Group F: Thomas Dutton / Jonathan Whitehead vs Bradley Burnett-Smith / George Farrelly

MATCHES TO CIRCLE

• 10:45 — Group A: Oyedele/Oyedele vs Kilcawley/Moss McCrory (top seeds tested early)
• 10:45 — Group B: Hodgins/Holt vs Reynolds/Barkey (control match)
• 10:45 — Group G: Palling/Pontin vs Beerensson/Williams (pace vs resistance)
• 10:45 — Group H: Fretwell/Williams vs Aldaz/Aldaz (momentum setter)
• 13:45 — Groups C/D/E/F: the late slots where qualification pressure peaks

THE KNOCKOUT: WHERE THE DAY TURNS SHARP

By mid-afternoon the groups have done their job: 24 pairs become 16, and from there it’s pure elimination. No cushion, no “we’ll fix it in the next match”. You lose once, you’re done.

Who goes through: the top two pairs from each group (that’s 16 pairs / 32 players) move into the bracket — and suddenly every point has an echo.

The rounds: Round of 16 (8 matches) → Quarter-finals (4) → Semi-finals (2) → Final (1). That’s 15 knockout matches to crown one winner — and there’s nowhere to hide.

The rhythm: the published slots begin at 14:30 and roll on through 15:15, 16:00, 16:45 and a late 17:30. For some pairs, the turnaround from the last group match to sudden-death knockout can be brutally short — the kind of schedule that rewards calm heads as much as clean volleys.

Why it gets chaotic: at this level, the minimum scoring format is built for tempo — short sets, quick swings, and the feeling that one loose service game can tip an entire afternoon. It’s the padel version of knockout football: the favourites still exist, but the margins get thinner with every round.

In short: the morning is about qualifying. The afternoon is about surviving. And once the bracket begins, every pair is one bad game away from the exit door.

• 14:30 — Round 16
• 16:00 — Quarter finals
• 16:45 — Semi Finals
• 17:30 — The Final