Galan and Chingotto Defend Milano P1 Title Against Surging Alfonso and Libaak

Ale Galan and Fede Chingotto defend their Milano P1 title against a dangerous floor this Friday, with Gonzalo Alfonso and Tino Libaak standing in their way in the quarterfinals at the Allianz Cloud.

How both pairs got here

Galan and Chingotto, the No. 2 seeds, cruised through the round of 16 on Thursday, beating Xisco Gil and Rama Valenzuela 6-1, 6-1. Alfonso and Libaak needed a tiebreak to shake off Mike Yanguas and Pablo Lijo in the same round, winning 6-1, 7-6(1). Between them, the two pairs have dropped just one set all week.

A pair on the rise

Alfonso and Libaak are not making up the numbers in this draw. The Argentine duo has spent the back half of the season piling up results nobody predicted, including a run that knocked out Fran Guerrero and Javi Leal and helped earn Libaak a call-up to Argentina's national team. They also pushed Agustin Tapia and Arturo Coello to the brink in Dusseldorf last month before finally falling short.

Form check for the champions

Galan and Chingotto have not been at their sharpest since Rotterdam. Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz stunned them in the Dusseldorf semifinal last month, their most recent loss before arriving in Milan. A deep run here would answer real questions about where they stand heading into the final stretch of the season.

What's at stake

The winner moves into Saturday's semifinal, one win from a shot at the trophy Galan and Chingotto lifted in Milan a year ago. For Alfonso and Libaak, reaching the final four would be the biggest result of their partnership so far.