Beach Pro Tour Futures Returns to Europe
After a month-long hiatus, the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures series makes its return to Europe this week. The scenic Czech city of Brno is set to host a double-gender beach volleyball tournament from Thursday through Sunday.
For the third consecutive season, Brno will serve as the backdrop for this exciting event, with matches unfolding at the picturesque lakefront Sokolske Koupaliste. The tournament will feature a diverse lineup of teams from across the globe. Following a dominant performance in 2024, where they claimed titles in both the men`s and women`s categories, host nation Czechia is eager to replicate its success and retain the gold medals on home soil.
Among the notable participants, 23-year-old Kylie Neuschaeferova, a member of last year`s triumphant women`s team in Brno, is poised to defend her title. While she previously clinched gold with Markéta Svozilová, this year she will compete alongside Martina Maixnerova. This duo has already secured two medals on the Beach Pro Tour this season, earning gold in Messina and bronze in Prague.
French star Anouk Dupin, who has consistently reached the podium in every Beach Pro Tour Futures event this season with two golds, two silvers, and a bronze, is another key player to watch. For the Brno tournament, she will team up with Elsa Descamps, with whom she secured a silver medal in Montpellier back in July.
Estonia also presents strong contenders for a podium finish this week in Brno, with teams such as Heleene Hollas/Liisa Remmelg, who boast a gold from Qingshan and a bronze from Jurmala, and Eva Liisa Kuivonen/Liisa-Lotta Jürgenson, silver medalists in Jurmala.
Women`s Tournament at Beach Pro Tour Brno Futures
The women`s tournament in Brno will feature 28 registered teams representing 16 nations. Host nation Czechia leads the participation with six duos, followed by Slovakia (3), Austria (2), Estonia (2), Hungary (2), the Philippines (2), and Scotland (2). Single teams will compete from Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland.
Men`s Tournament at Beach Pro Tour Brno Futures
In the men`s competition, last year`s gold medalists and world champions Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner from Czechia will not be participating. However, Adam Waber and Matyas Jezek, who faced them in the 2024 final, are set to return and aim for another podium finish.
With two top-seeded teams in the main draw, Jakub Sepka/Jiri Sedlak and Tadeas Trousil/Matyas Dzavoronok, the host nation appears well-equipped to contend for gold once more, buoyed by the support of their home crowd.
Among the international contenders, Swiss duo Florian Breer and Luc Flückiger, who earned a silver medal in Geneva in June, are strong candidates for a podium spot in Brno.
The men`s event will also feature 28 teams, representing 21 different nations. Apart from host Czechia (six teams), only Germany and the Philippines (two teams each) will have multiple duos. Single teams will represent Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Türkiye.
The tournament kicks off on the first day in Brno with qualification rounds for both genders. The main draw will commence on Friday with pool play, progressing to elimination rounds on Saturday. The semifinals and all medal matches are set to take place on Sunday.
These Beach Pro Tour Futures events across Europe are organized in collaboration with Volleyball World, offering European teams crucial opportunities to compete and accumulate vital international ranking points.
