Sand Series Returns in Parnu
The top players in beach tennis head to Pärnu, Estonia as the Sand Series continues on 21-23 July.
As the ITF Beach Tennis World Tour heads into the second half of the season, the entry deadline saw the top teams confirm their participation in the seaside town south of Tallinn.
André Baran and Nikita Burmakin will head to the Baltics in good form, having captured the last two tournaments they have played together - at both the most recent Sand Series at the Brasilía Classic and the BT400 Uberlândia. The duo have captured four titles this year as a pair, the BT400 Abu Dhabi and the Sand Series Ribeirão Preto in addition to their recent success.
Antomi Ramos and Michele Cappelletti will look to defend their title, but will be wary of challengers such as recent Sand Series Gran Canaria Classic champions Doriano Beccaccioli and Tommaso Giovannini. Allan Oliveira and Thales Santos also head to Estonia in good form, having captured the BT200 Itumbiara last week, whilst Mattia Spoto will again partner Nicolas Gianotti in the Frenchman’s first Sand Series as World Number One.
The women’s entry list is headlined by World Champions Rafaella Miiller and Patricia Diaz who have complied an impressive 38-4 record this year including five titles and are competing in Pärnu for the first time. Giulia Gasparri returns to the tour to partner Sofia Cimatti for the rest of the season, with Ninny Valentini recovering from a shoulder injury. Gasparri and Cimatti are no strangers to success, having claimed nine titles together in 2019, including in Réunion and at the Aruba Open, which returns to the ITF tour this year.
Vitoria Marchezini and Sophia Chow will look to continue their impressive recent form, having claimed the BT400 Uberlandia as well as a runner-up finish at the Gran Canaria Classic. Flaminia Daina and Nicole Nobile are also ones to watch after a solid start to their reformed partnership.
The Sand Series then heads to Saarlouis, which saw the very first event in the Series take place in August 2021, before concluding at the inaugural Sand Series Valinhos in October.