Natasha Khan and Sophia Marks: The Brits in first round action Italy reigned supreme in Brighton over the weekend, successfully defending all three available titles, as the European Beach Tennis Championships came to Great Britain for the first time.
Five years after hosting the Beach Volleyball Under 21 World Championships in storm-like conditions, glorious sunshine welcomed the players and supporters from a record 20 nations, as they arrived at Yellowave in Brighton for the 2013 European Beach Tennis Championships.
Great Britain entered three pairs into each of the categories being contested – the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – however, ultimately, it was the Italian duos who further extended their nation’s domination of the sport.
The men’s title went to Alessandro Calbucci and Marco Garavini who, just a week earlier, also won the World Championships. In the final they defeated another Italian pair, Michele Cappelletti and Luca Carli.
Flamina Daina and Michaela Zanaboni won the women’s title by beating German duo, Dorothee Berreth and Carina Blank while, in yet another all-Italian affair, Flamina Daina and Marco Garavini defeated compatriots Eva D’Elia and Luca Carli in the mixed final to complete the Italian clean sweep.
The rules of beach tennis, a relatively new sport, are similar to those of regular (lawn) tennis with a few key differences:
Italy’s success in Brighton maintains their outstanding record of having won every available title at both the European and World Championships since the advent of these events. It was, therefore, something of a major shock when Brazil defeated Italy in Moscow last month to win the World Team Championships for the first time.
Kit Munns | Freelance Sports Writer
Five years after hosting the Beach Volleyball Under 21 World Championships in storm-like conditions, glorious sunshine welcomed the players and supporters from a record 20 nations, as they arrived at Yellowave in Brighton for the 2013 European Beach Tennis Championships.
Great Britain entered three pairs into each of the categories being contested – the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – however, ultimately, it was the Italian duos who further extended their nation’s domination of the sport.
The men’s title went to Alessandro Calbucci and Marco Garavini who, just a week earlier, also won the World Championships. In the final they defeated another Italian pair, Michele Cappelletti and Luca Carli.
Flamina Daina and Michaela Zanaboni won the women’s title by beating German duo, Dorothee Berreth and Carina Blank while, in yet another all-Italian affair, Flamina Daina and Marco Garavini defeated compatriots Eva D’Elia and Luca Carli in the mixed final to complete the Italian clean sweep.
The rules of beach tennis, a relatively new sport, are similar to those of regular (lawn) tennis with a few key differences:
- Beach tennis is played on a smaller court with a higher net
- The ball is not allowed to bounce (given the court surface is usually sand)
- Paddle-type bats are used in place of standard rackets
- A slightly depressurised ball is used
- Players only get one serve (which may be overarm or underarm)
- Any service-let is ignored
- Any game reaching deuce is then won by a single deciding point
Italy’s success in Brighton maintains their outstanding record of having won every available title at both the European and World Championships since the advent of these events. It was, therefore, something of a major shock when Brazil defeated Italy in Moscow last month to win the World Team Championships for the first time.
Kit Munns | Freelance Sports Writer
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