Beach Tennis USA and Vision Italia Present
The 2010 ITF INTERNATIONAL BEACH TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
SEPTEMBER 4 - 5, 2010
Long Beach, NY - Despite threats of a hurricane and the gusty winds that follow, the 2010 ITF International Beach Tennis Championship demonstrated exciting, fast paced action. The best Beach Tennis players in the world competed for $10,000 in cash and prizes as well as international Beach Tennis bragging rights.
Beach Tennis USA's 2010 Championship tournament was at Riverside Blvd. in Long Beach, NY. Mens and Womens PRO, Amateur and Junior play was held and competitors included players from throughout the US and around the world including Italy, Brazil, Greece and Aruba. This event was the first Beach Tennis tournament in America sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation, the world governing body of Beach Tennis. This tournmament also marks the 1 year anniversary of BTUSA's introduction of the paddle. BTUSA made the switch to paddles this year to facilitate unification of the many Beach Tennis associations throughout the world.
Winners of the 2010 ITF International Beach Tennis Championship PRO Divisions were Joana Cortez from Brazil and Simona Bonadonna of Italy (Womens) and Alex Mingozzi and Matteo Marighella of Italy (Mens). For Mingozzi and Marighella, the real victory was reclaiming their title as "#1 in the world" after they were defeated by Michele Cappelletti and Alessandro Calbucci in Aruba. Cappelletti and Calbucci played hard but this time the former Champs proved to be too much for them.
Winners of the 2010 ITF International Beach Tennis Amateur Division were Anthony Chan and John Bonnet. In Juniors Mixed, the semi-final came down to boys vs. girls with Robby Altheim and Ben Lee taking the win over Alegrea Hanlon and Rachel Grastaldo in a tie-breaker.
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
PRO Mens Doubles
Matteo Marighella and Alex Mingozzi defeated Michele Cappelletti and Alessandro Calbucci 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2
PRO Womens Doubles
Simona Bonadonna and Joana Cortez defeated Federica Bacchetta and Veronica Visani 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
PRO Mixed Doubles
Niccolo Strano and Giorgia Pennetta defeated Bertrand Coulet and Maria Buuts 9-5
Amateur Mens Doubles
Anthony Chan and John Bonnet defeated David Mate and Michael Dieber 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5
Juniors Mixed Doubles
Robby Altheim and Ben Lee defeated Alegrea Hanlon and Rachel Grastaldo 9-3, 8-8 (7-3 tiebreaker)