ITF SAND SERIES COMES TO SHORE IN REUNION
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Sand Series Beach Tennis Tour is underway at Saint Paul Beach, Reunion Island. The event, which runs 9-12 May, marks the second stop on the Sand Series calendar, with a combined prize money pot of $75,000, making it the highest prize money event on the ITF Sand Series circuit.
The Sand Series includes the premier tournaments on the ITF Beach Tennis World Tour, designed to provide the top players with opportunities to gain more ranking points and greater prize money.
Top-ranked players from around the world are gearing up to compete for the coveted titles.
World Champions Nicolas Gianotti and Mattia Spoto face a tough opener against two time Beach Tennis Junior World Cup winner, Edoardo Ponti and last year’s BT400 Balneario Camboriú champion, Gustavo Russo. Nicolas Gianotti is aiming to capture his maiden home title, with it being the only Sand Series Classic title to elude him.
Eight-time Réunion winner Michele Cappelletti and Ribeirão Preto champion, Andre Baran will be glad to be on the opposite side of the draw, with the former having lost to Russo in both of those title runs.
On the women’s side, top seeds Patricia Diaz and Rafaella Miiller face a challenge against home favourites Mathilde and Marie-Eve Hoarau. The French duo caused an upset three years ago, knocking out Giulia Gasparri and Ninny Valentini on their way to the semi-finals. Diaz and Miiller took the title in 2022 after a tense 17-15 match tie-break semi-final win, followed by an equally tight final match tie-break that ended 12-10.
Recent Sand Series Ribeirão Preto Champions Flaminia Daina and Nicole Nobile face Daria Churakova and Liudmila Nikoian, semi-finalists in last week’s BT200 Saint-Clotilde in Réunion. With Valentini coming back from injury and the pair seeded fifth, they find themselves in a very tough half with Ariadna Costa Graell and Elena Francesconi, who upset them at last year’s World Championships, as well as Sofia Cimatti and Greta Giusti who they lost to at last month’s BT400 Petrolina.
Tournament Director, Renaud Bourjea’s goal is to create a festival of beach tennis during the Sand Series event, hosting a number of events to enhance participation. These events include:
- Men’s and Women’s 45+ doubles event – Masters of the beach
- Junior doubles – u12, u14, u16 – future stars in action
- ITF Junior event – u18 boys and girls doubles
- Mixed doubles
- ITF BT10 – for local players
Across all events, a total of 580 participants will showcase their talents and contribute to the overall festivities, with 23 nationalities participating this year.
Live scoring will be available from the first round and live streaming will be available from the quarter-finals with more information available on the tournament page at ITFTennis.com.
Sand Series 2024
11 – 14 April: Ribeirão Preto
10 – 12 May: Réunion Classic
17 – 19 May: Gran Canaria Classic
13 – 15 June: Brasília Classic
15th – 17th August: Saarlouis Classic
10th – 12th October: São Paulo
15th – 17th November: Aruba