Defending champions dealt tough draw at Sand Series Reunion Classic
Both sets of defending champions were dealt tricky draws on the eve of the return of the Sand Series as the Réunion Classic gets underway on Friday 25 March.
Antomi Ramos and Michele Cappelletti have been drawn in the same half as Andre Baran and Theo Irigaray, recent winners in Balneário Rincão, as well as beating the pair in Santos earlier this year.
The bottom half sees home favourite Nicolas Gianotti once again partnering Italy’s Mattia Spoto, who have enjoyed great success since teaming up at the Sand Series Brasilia last year and will look to improve on their 2021 semi-final appearance.
With a record number of entries in 2022, the strength and depth of the qualifiers has not gone unnoticed, with 4th seed Vini Font saying: “The challenge [of playing a qualifier] here is that everyone can play. We are here and we are confident, but we are going to focus on the first round and take the tournament step by step.”
Font’s partner Ramon Guedez will draw confidence on having sprung a big upset over top seeds Cappelletti and Ramos in the second round of Balneário Rincão just a few weeks ago.
On the women’s side, local players Anne-France Marot and Anne Marimoutou drew top seeds Giulia Gasparri and Ninny Valentini in the opening round.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge but it will be a good experience for us in front of our supporters,” Marot said. They will take encouragement from fellow locals Mathilde and Marie-Eve Hoarau, who went all the way to the semi-finals after knocking out Gasparri and Valentini last year.
The unseeded Hoarau sisters land in a tricky section of the bottom half of the draw and are due to face Patricia Diaz and Rafaella Miiller in the second round, runners up in the ITF World Championships and winners of the 2021 Sand Series Gran Canaria.
Defending champions Sofia Cimatti and Nicole Nobile are set for a rematch of last year’s final against Maraike Biglmaier and Eva Fernandez Palos as early as the quarter-finals, and if last year’s epic tussle is anything to go by, fans and spectators will be in for a treat.
Coverage of the Sand Series Reunion Classic will be streamed live on the ITF website from 25-27 March.