Photo: Edvard KozusnikBeach Tennis action
MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Italy will pose the biggest threat at the inaugural ITF Beach Tennis World Team Championships, which get underway this week at the National Tennis Center in Moscow (13-15 July). The Italian team features joint world No. 1s, Simona Briganti and Laura Olivieri, the reigning ITF European and World Champions, as well as Alessandro Calbucci and Luca Meliconi who currently top the men’s world rankings.
This three-day event has attracted 15 nations from around the world and includes top beach tennis names alongside former players from other ITF Circuits. Fitting into both of these categories is Joana Cortez from Brazil, who enjoyed a long career encompassing the ITF Junior and Pro Circuits between 1994 and 2008, a time period which also saw her compete at the Sydney Olympics, the 2002 Australian Open and represent her nation in Fed Cup competition.
A strong doubles player with 26 ITF Pro Circuit titles to her name, Cortez reached a career high of No. 5 on the ITF beach tennis world rankings in April this year, a feat she achieved with fellow entrant Samantha Barijan. The pair will certainly play their part in making Brazil a formidable foe for the other nations at this championships.
William Forcellini, currently ranked No. 25, is another player who could shine at the team championships. The player from San Marino has great experience of international team competition having been a key member of their Davis Cup squad for over ten years and having represented his country at the European Beach Tennis Championships for the last four years, culminating in a semifinal finish in 2011.
2012 ITF Beach Tennis World Team Championship nominations
(as of 3 July 2012)
Austria - captained by Vladimir Hudin
Men: Martin Schmidt and Stefan Weber
Women: Sandra Schmidt and Marlena Metzinfer
Belgium - captained by Kathy Maertens
Men: Johan Janssens and Matthias Van Dorpe
Women: Eva Maes and Sindy Putt
Brazil - captained by Guilherme Prata
Men: Guilherme Prata and Vinicius Font
Womens: Joana Cortez and Samantha Barijan
Bulgaria - captained by Bilyana Dakova
Men: Petar Kirilov and Ivailo Bojilov
Women: Lazarina Stefanova and Katina Simeonova
Cyprus - captained by Kypiakos Zisimos
Men: Andrea Thalassinos and Philip Alkiviades
Women: Vaso Karassava Hambides and Femke Ellens
Czech Republic - captained by TBC
Men: Lukas Mrnavy and Pavel Radek
Women: Jana Deylova and Eva Brozova
France - captained by TBC
Men: Francois Jouque and Romain Bourse
Women: Mathilde Hoarau and Marie Eve Hoarau
Germany - captained by Gerd Hummel
Men: Oliver Munz and Alexander Bailer
Women: Dorothee Berreth and Maraike Biglmaier
Hungary - captained by Geza Kendik
Men: Jozsef Dundler, Andras Kaliszky and Peter Joos
Women: Monika Erdelyi and Aniko Kovacs
Italy - captained by Luca Bidolli
Men: Alessandro Calbucci and Luca Meliconi
Women: Laura Olivieri and Simona Briganti
Portugal - captained by TBC
Men: Ruben Ferreira and Bruno Polonia
Women: Ana Noro and Caterina Pires
Russia - captained by Alexander Stakheev
Men: Levan Nanava, Sergey Kuptsov and Igor Panin
Women: Gulnara Fattakhetdinova, Irina Bulykina and Ekaterina Kirgizova
San Marino - captained by Stefano Pazzini
Men: Christian Berardi and William Forcellini
Women: Camilla Zafferani and Alice Grandi
Ukraine - captained by Mykhailo Shcherbakob
Men: Stanislav Agapov, Vladyslav Presnyakov and Bogdan Osaulenko
Women: Maryna Lysenko, Emilia Orlova and Polina Fomichova
Venezuela - captained by Carlos Hernan Jimenez Seijas
Men: Alejandro Concepcion Quijada Machado and Ramon Ignacio Guedez Maluff
Women: Claudia Valentina Moreno Lameda and Andrea Isabel Pereira Soto