It’s a Not an easy debut awaits the only Italian couple present in the penultimate Challenge before the Olympic qualification deadline, scheduled for Xiamen in China until Sunday. Gianluca Dal Corso and Marco Viscovich, inserted into the main draw thanks to a wild card, they will face each other in the semi-final of group A the Brazilian couple composed of Pedro Solberg/Guto.
There are no precedents between the two couples, the Brazilians have never stood on the podium of a tournament on the world circuit since they have been playing together while the Italian pair achieved two third places last year in the Futures of Messina and Rossan Calabro. The game is played at 5.00am Italian time. In the same group the French will face each other in the other semi-final Aye/Aye and one of the couples of the moment, the Cubans Diaz/Alayo, seeded number 1 in this tournament and capable of reaching the second step of the podium in the two previous Challenges played in Brazil.
No Italian couple at the start in the women’s tournament which presents at the starting line some couples who aspire to Olympic qualification through ranking and others who aim to prepare for the Nations Cup.
MEN’S TOURNAMENT
First qualifying round: Bye-Canet/Rotar (FRA), Haussener/Friedli (SUI)-Bedritis/Rinkevics (LAT) 0-2 (17-21, 23-25), Huerta/Huerta (ESP)-Pedrosa/Campos (POR) 1- 2 (14-21, 21-14, 12-15), Pithak/Poravid (THA)-Malki/Adachi (JPN) 2-0 (21-15, 21-8), Hongjun/Liu (CHN)-Hoppe/ Shaw (USA) 0-2 (6-21, 13-21), Dressler/Trummer (AUT)-Leitner/Pascariuc (AUT) 2-0 (21-16, 21-14), Rudol/Florczyk (POL)- Elazar/Cuzmiciov (ISR) 2-1 (13-21, 21-17, 17-15), Krattiger/Breer (SUI)-Bye, Bye.Nicklin/McManaway (NZL), Smedins/Tocs (LAT)-Aye/ Aye (FRA) 0-2 (18-21, 15-21), Mol/Sunde (NOR)-Fuller/O’Dea (NZL) 0-2 (12-21, 22-24), Grimalt/Grimalt (CHI )-Bye, Li Zhuoxin/Liu (CHN)-Smith/Webber (USA) 0-2 (17-21, 17-21), Métral/Jordan (SUI)-Tatsumi/Furuta (JPN) 2-0 (21- 19, 21-19), Wang/Li (CHN)-Heidrich/Dillier (SUI) 1-2 (13-21, 21-18, 12-15), Aravena/Droguett (CHI)-Bye.
Second qualifying round: Bedritis/Rinkevics (LAT)-Canet/Rotar (FRA) 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 15-12), Pithak/Poravid (THA)-Pedrosa/Campos (POR) 1-2 (18-21 , 21-17, 14-16), Dressler/Trummer (AUT)-Hoppe/Shaw (USA) 0-2 (16-21, 18-21), Krattiger/Breer (SUI)-Rudol/Florczyk (POL) 2 -0 (21-14, 21-9), Aye/Aye (FRA)-Nicklin/McManaway (NZL) 2-0 (21-15, 21-16), Grimalt/Grimalt (CHI)-Fuller/O’Dea (NZL) 2-0 (24-22, 21-15), Métral/Jordan (SUI)-Smith/Webber (USA) 1-2 (18-21, 23-21, 12-15), Aravena/Droguett ( CHI)-Heidrich/Dillier (SUI) 2-0 (21-18, 21-17)
Group semi-finals. Pool F: Hodges/Schubert (AUS)-Grimalt/Grimalt (CHI), Wu Jiaxin/Ha Likejiang (CHN)-Hoppe/Shaw (USA). Pool E: Hörl/Horst (AUT)-Krattiger/Breer (SUI), Schachter/Dearing (CAN)-Smith/Webber (USA). Pool D: Nicolaidis/Carracher (AUS)-Stankevicius/Knasas (LTU), Evans/Budinger (USA)-Krou/Gauthier-Rat (FRA). Pool C: Mol/Berntsen (NOR)-Pristauz/Seidl (AUT), Crabb/Brunner (USA)-Pedrosa/Campos (POR). Pool B: Bello/Bello (ENG)-Aravena/Droguett (CHI), Pfretzschner/Winter (GER)-Bedritis/Rinkevics (LAT). Pool A: Pedro Solberg/Guto (BRA)-Dal Corso/Viscovich (ITA), Diaz/Alayo (CUB)-Aye/Aye (FRA)
WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT
First qualifying round: Bye-Fejes/Milutinovic (AUS), Bentele/Bossart (SUI)-Wang/Xing Jiayi (CHN) 1-2 (14-21, 21-17, 15-17), Han Wenqin/Yu (CHN)-Suzuka/ Reika (JPN) 2-0 (23-21, 21-19), Chacon/Whalen (USA)-Noguchi/Fukuda (JPN) 2-0 (21-15, 21-19), Bye-Gruszczynska/Ola (POL ), Kernen/Niederhauser (SUI)-Zobrist/Wandeler (SUI) 2-1 (19-21, 21-15, 16-14), Kadeliye/Zeng (CHN)-Harward/DeBerg (USA) 0-2 (15 -21, 16-21), Fleming/Johnson (AUS)-Bye, Bye-Kotnik/Lovsin (SLO), Sude/Kunst (GER)-Lutz/Bovet (SUI) 2-0 (21-15, 25-23 ), Sakurako/Sakura (JPN)-Wang/Bai (CHN) 0-2 (18-21, 14-21), Plesiutschnig/Schützenhöfer (AUT)-Bye, Wang/Zhang (CHN)-Polley/Zeimann (NZL) 0-2 (20-22, 18-21), Yan/Zhou (CHN)-Yuan Lvwen/Jiang (CHN) 2-0 (21-0, 21-0), Cao/Zhu Lingdi (CHN)-Shiba/ Maruyama (JPN) 1-2 (19-21, 21-14, 11-15), Akiko/Ishii (JPN)-Bye.
Second qualifying round: Wang/Xing Jiayi (CHN)-Fejes/Milutinovic (AUS) 1-2 (21-19, 22-24, 12-15), Chacon/Whalen (USA)-Han Wenqin/Yu (CHN) 2-0 (21 -12, 21-17), Kernen/Niederhauser (SUI)-Gruszczynska/Ola (POL) 0-2 (20-22, 15-21), Fleming/Johnson (AUS)-Harward/DeBerg (USA) 1-2 (21-16, 18-21, 12-15), Sude/Kunst (GER)-Kotnik/Lovsin (SLO) 2-0 (21-15, 21-16), Plesiutschnig/Schützenhöfer (AUT)-Wang/Bai (CHN) 2-0 (22-20, 21-19), Yan/Zhou (CHN)-Polley/Zeimann (NZL) 1-2 (21-12, 19-21, 13-15), Akiko/Ishii ( JPN)-Shiba/Maruyama (JPN) 2-0 (21-18, 22-20)
Group semi-finals. Pool F: Liliana/Paula (ESP)-Fejes/Milutinovic (AUS), Wang/Dong (CHN)-Plesiutschnig/Schützenhöfer (AUT). Pool E: Raupelyte/Paulikiene (LTU)-Akiko/Ishii (JPN), Esmée/Zoé (SUI)-Gruszczynska/Ola (POL). Pool D: Vergé-Dépré/Mäder (SUI)-Vieira/Chamereau (FRA), Pavan/McBain (CAN)-Chacon/Whalen (USA). Pool C: Álvarez/Moreno (ESP)-Helland-Hansen/Olimstad (NOR), Bansley/Bukovec (CAN)-Polley/Zeimann (NZL). Pool B: Klinger/Klinger (AUT)-Placette/Richard (FRA), Ittlinger/Borger (GER)-Sude/Kunst (GER). Pool A: Naraphornrapat/Worapeerachayakorn (THA)-Ahtiainen/Lahti (FIN), Ludwig/Lippmann (GER)-Harward/DeBerg (USA).
