Top Seeds Prevail in Beach Tennis World Championships Semi Finals

The semi-finals of the ITF Beach Tennis World Championships delivered electrifying matches in both the men's and women's draws, setting up high-stakes showdowns for the finals.

In the men’s semi-final, Venezuelan Carlos Vigon and Italy’s Nicolas Bolletinari were close to pulling off a monumental upset after eliminating the tournament's 3rd seeds, Burmakin and Giovannini, in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-6, 7-5, 11-9 win. They carried this momentum into the semis, securing the first set 6-4 against the second-seeded duo of André Baran and Michele Cappelletti. However, Baran and Cappelletti, showing their resilience, turned the match around with a strong comeback in the second set and dominated the match tie-break to win 10-4.

After the victory, Cappelletti said, “I think we showed why we are the top 2 team in the world.” He also acknowledged the tension they felt, especially as Baran is on the verge of his first World Championship final.

The final will now see a clash of the world’s best, as Cappelletti and Baran take on top seeds Nicolas Gianotti and Mattia Spoto, who comfortably beat Hugo Geugano (FRA) and Hugo Paronetto Russo (BRA) in their semi-final. Fans are eagerly anticipating this showdown between the top two men's teams in the world.

On the women’s side, the semi-finals were equally dramatic. The young teens, Kudinova and Semenova surged ahead 5-2 in the first set, but the experienced Italian duo of Giulia Gasparri and Ninny Valentini fought back with five consecutive games to take the set 7-5. They secured their place in the final with a 7-5, 6-4 victory.

Valentini, reflecting on their progress after last year’s quarterfinal exit, said, “I never imagined we would be back in the final of this tournament.”

Gasparri and Valentini, two-time champions, will face defending champions and top seeds Patricia Diaz (VEN) and Rafaella Miiller (BRA) in Sunday’s final. Diaz and Miiller earned their spot by defeating Costa Graell and Casadei 6-4, 6-4 in their semi-final, setting the stage for an intense battle between champions past and present.

Both finals promise to deliver top-tier beach tennis action, as the world’s best players fight for the ultimate prize on Sunday.