Top Seeds dealt tough draws at the final Sand Series in Valinhos
World No. 1s Nicolas Gianotti and Mattia Spoto were dealt a tough path in the final Sand Series of the year in Valinhos after Wednesday night’s draw. If they defeat qualifiers Maxim Ionin and Dmitrii Pavlov in their opener they may face off against last week’s BT200 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto champions Leonardo Garrossino Branco and Hugo Paronetto Russo.
The Brazilians stunned top seeds Nikita Burmakin and Antomi Ramos in last weekend’s final, as well as defeating Mathieu Guegano and Theo Irigaray in the quarter-finals in a thrilling match tie-break. The French pair also landed in the top half of the draw and will open against Fabricio Neis and Daniel Schmitt who are seven and four-time winners respectively on the Beach Tennis World Tour this year. Tommaso Giovannini and Maks Andersons round out the seeds in the top half of the draw as they form a partnership for the first time.
The bottom half is headlined by André Baran and Michele Cappelletti, who came close to the perfect start to their new partnership in Saarlouis, falling only in a match tiebreak in the championship match against Gianotti and Spoto. The Brazilian-Italian duo open Paul Gotarda and Maxime Moretto, with the latter familiar with springing big opening round Sand Series upsets after taking out fourth seeds Doriano Beccaccioli and Theo Irigaray at the Réunion Classic in March.
Things are no easier for the top seeds in the women’s draw with top seeds Rafaella Miiller and Patricia Diaz opening up against Marie-Eve Hoarau and Mathilde Hoarau. The French sisters recently claimed a huge scalp in defeating Sofia Cimatti and Giulia Gasparri at the Mediterranean Beach Games, coming from a set down to make the gold medal match. The Italians and second seeds open up against Nicoli Casagrande and Omaira Farias in the bottom half of the draw.
This half is full of their compatriots with Gasparri and Cimatti on course to face Veronica Casadei and Greta Giusti in the quarter-finals as well as Flaminia Daina and Nicole Nobile in the semi-finals. However Daina and Nobile would first have to navigate a tricky quarter-final against the Spaniards Ariadna Costa Graell and Eva Fernandez Palos.
The inaugural Sand Series Valinhos will feature live scoring from the first round as well as live streaming from the quarter-finals onwards with more information available on the tournament page.