The Sand Series continues in earnest this week with the Gran Canaria Classic, hot off the heels of last week’s Réunion Classic, with the playa de las Canteras playing host to the third Sand Series stop of 2024.

Giulia Gasparri and Ninny Valentini will be looking to pick up where they left off last week when they claimed their first title as a pair in over a year at the Plage des Brisants. They face Wild Cards Claudia Cabrera and Iratxe Rodriguez in their opening round with a possible quarter-final rematch against Sofia Cimatti and Greta Giusti who they squeezed past last week in Réunion. Also in the top half are defending champions Patricia Diaz and Rafaella Miiller who have so far claimed two titles this year at the BT400 Balneario Camboriu and the BT400 Pure Beach.

Second seeds Flaminia Daina and Nicole Nobile will see if they can face off against their fellow Italians in Gasparri and Valentini for the third Sand Series final in a row as they find themselves in opposite sides of the draw. The quartet have split the opening two Sand Series with Daina and Nobile triumphing in a thrilling Ribeirão Preto final last month and will open up against Dominique Hopman and Anette Maelt. Last year’s Runners Sophia Chow  and Vitoria Marchezini open against Wild Cards Anely Ruiz Campos and Maria Martinez Seron.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Gianotti and Mattia Spoto will be eager to reclaim the Gran Canaria Classic title they won in 2022 after an agonising defeat in last year’s final which saw them squander a 7-0 tie break lead as well as a championship point. The pair open against Niccolo Strano and Alexander Rozin and find themselves in a tough section of the draw. In the second round they would face either the dangerous unseeded Gerard Rodriguez and Joao Wiesinger or Luca Andreolini and Marco Faccini. Andreolini won the biggest title of his career last month at the  BT400 Petrolina , taking out the top three seeded teams before backing things up the following week at the BT200 Indaiatuba. His partner for those titles – Felipe Loch – became the youngest men’s winner of a BT400 event. Loch this week partners Daniel Mola who face a tough opener against Ramon Guedez and Carlos Vigon.

Tommaso Giovannini will look to defend his Spanish Sand Series crown with his returning partnership with Nikita Burmakin off to a strong start, falling only in the final at last week’s Réunion Classic. They find themselves in the tricky top half of the draw and may face Peter Campedelli and Giacomo Gabellini in the second round. The Italian pair stunned Burmakin in the opening round of last year’s World Championships in an enthralling 14-12 match tie break.

Winners of the opening Sand Series in Ribeirao Preto second seeds Michele Cappelletti and Andre Barani will face off against Italians Filippo Boscolo Meneguelo in their opener, with Cappelletti looking to get back to winning ways after seeing an eighteen match Réunion winning streak (including the last three titles) come to an end last week at the hands of Burmakin and Giovannini.

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

15^th – 17^th August: Saarlouis Classic

10^th – 12^th October: São Paulo

15^th – 17^th November: Aruba