London, Feb 21, 2013: The ITF announced that the ITF Beach Tennis World Championships will return to Italy when the Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) hosts the 2013 Championships in the Adriatic resort of Cervia in Ravenna from Wednesday 31 July until Sunday 4 August.
The flagship event on the ITF Beach Tennis Tour will see the best men’s and women’s doubles pairs from around the world bidding to be crowned 2013 ITF Beach Tennis World Champions.
This is the fifth edition of the Championships that were first hosted by the FIT at the Foro Italico in Rome in 2009-11, before moving to Burgas, Bulgaria in 2012. Italian players have dominated the first four events, with Marco Garavini and Paolo Tazzari winning the 2012 men’s title, and Simona Briganti and Laura Olivieri successfully defending their women’s title.
The Italians will face increased competition as they bid to hold on to their titles this year, with more nations taking up the sport each year. Competitors from 15 countries took part in the 2012 Championships, while over 40 nations are currently represented in the ITF Beach Tennis Rankings.
The Ravenna province in Italy has long been considered the heart of beach tennis, and Cervia has hosted one of the most successful Grade 1 events on the ITF Beach Tennis Tour since 2010. The 2013 Championships will be staged atBagno Delfino on the Cervia coast with 20 match courts in use.
The ITF Beach Tennis Tour was launched in 2008, and continues to grow each year, with 152 events staged in 32 countries in 2012.
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are delighted to see the continued growth of the Beach Tennis Tour. The ITF Beach Tennis World Championships remain a focal point of the beach tennis calendar, and it is fitting that this year’s event is staged in such an active region for the sport. The Italian Tennis Federation are experienced hosts of these world championships, and we are confident that the event can go from strength to strength.” —- ITF
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.