A surprise upset marked the opening day of the men's main draw at the Yucatan Challenge on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. Brazil's Adelmo Folha and Mateus Dultra, ranked 30th, defeated third-seeded Italians Samuele Cottafava and Gianluca Dal Corso in straight sets (21-16, 21-18). Their victory was fueled by capitalizing on unforced errors and maintaining sharp play.
Two other qualifying teams also secured wins:
- Brazil's Pedro Oliveira and Renato Lima started strong.
- Switzerland's Yves Haussener and Julian Friedli delivered a confident performance.
These results hint at an unpredictable tournament unfolding in Puerto Progreso, Mexico.
Upcoming Matches
As the tournament progresses, Friday’s matches promise more intensity:
- Adelmo and Mateus face Latvia’s Ardis Bedritis and Arturs Rinkevics for the top Pool C spot.
- Cottafava and Dal Corso must win against Czechia’s Jakub Sepka and Jiri Sedlak to stay in contention.
Other Tournament Highlights
- Chile’s Marco and Esteban Grimalt staged a comeback to defeat Italy’s Alex Ranghieri and Manuel Alfieri in three sets.
- U.S. duo Chaim Schalk and James Shaw triumphed in a tie-breaker against Argentina’s Juan Bautista Amieva and Maciel Bueno.
Higher-seeded teams from Cuba, Austria, and the Netherlands secured solid victories. However, an injury forced Brazil’s George Wanderley and Saymon Barbosa to withdraw, handing Czech world champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner their first win of the season.
With crucial pool play matches ahead, the battle for knockout stage spots in Mexico is reaching a critical phase.
Read more on the official Volleyball World website.
