Team Italy
MICHELE FOLEGATTI (TEAM CAPTAIN) and STEFANO BIANCONI(TEAM MANAGER)
BTRUSSIA: Team Italy represented by new players this year. What are your expectations?
Michele and Stefano: Yes, this year we have new players in our national team, like Giulia Gasparri. Our expectations are good, because she won world championships in Cervia this year. Also Julia have very strong partner Flaminia Daina. We have a very good team, so I think, we could win the championships.
BTRUSSIA: Who is the strongest opponent in these championships for your team?
Michele and Stefano:Actually there are many strong teams – Spain with Antomi Ramos and Gerard Rodrigues, during this year, and they beat our first men doubles Calbucci-Garavini at the World Team Championship in Moscow.
France with Regis Courtois and Romain Bourse, and Germany too. But I think Russians are one of the strongest opponents to us – Sergey Kuptsov and Nikita Burmakin. Because they improved their beach tennis
What about women doubles, I think Russian girls could be very strong (Julia and Irina), but Spanish girls play good too (Pilar and Rosa), and France team too (Pauline and Manuela). French team also has very strong players – Hoarau sisters, who didn’t come to European championships this year.
LUCA MELICONI (PLAYER)
BTRUSSIA: You haven’t European Champion title, being in the national Italian team, ready to fight for this at these championships? Tell us a little about the team.
Luca Meliconi: Yes, I don’t have a European Champion title, so I’m very happy to be here. Me and my team partners – we can be against each other on the courts, because we can’t play as a team, only like doubles. But outside the game we are good friends.
BTRUSSIA: What can you say about the matches of the first days of the European Championships? Were there any surprises for you?
Luca Meliconi: I think, the first day is like training on European Championships. There were no surprises, and all the top seeds came through. So the main competition starts today.
BTRUSSIA: How do you like the atmosphere here? Airplanes flying overhead don’t disturb you?
Luca: I like it. A little weird, but overall conditions are better than last year in Brighton. Here is a great place to play beach tennis, traditional place. It is hot and sunny; in Italy we have about 10 degrees now, so it's big change for us. It’s not easy, but during the first day we can train and get used to it.
GIULIA GASPARRI (PLAYER)
BTRUSSIA: Italy has a European Champion title for several years in a row, and at the team this year has a great responsibility to defend this title. Which teams are your main rivals?
Giulia: Doubles from Spain Pilar and Rosa play very well. I haven't played against the Russian girls, but they seem like a strong team.
BTRUSSIA: You have arrived to the European Championship in the rank of World Champions; does it help and give you confidence or presses with huge responsibility?
Giulia: Yes, I became a champion this year, and I think here I can find more experience and confidence. I started to play BT only 2 years ago. But at the same time, of course, I have a pressure and responsibility. When you play after important victory you have to show always the best, because other players and spectators wait the best from you.
BTRUSSIA: How do you feel in national team? How your friends support you in the team?
Giulia: It’s the first time, when I can wear the national t-shirt and to play for the Italy, that is the best nation in the world in beach tennis. I like the team very much, we play together and have a big support. It is better than to play on tournament as doubles, when nobody can help you. You always can do better during the game, if you have support of your team.
Team Germany
DOROTHEE BERRETH (PLAYER)
BTRUSSIA: Today is the second day of the championships and it’s already possible to assess the organization of the tournament. Tell us about, how do you like conditions for players, the weather, the sand?
Dorothee: It’s pretty good weather. It’s warm and sunny, but compared to the other competitions, like Moscow for example, the organization is not so good. We have little problems, but most important, that everybody could play, have fun during our games.
BTRUSSIA: Any surprises for you during this day: unexpected victory or defeat?
Dorothee: I guess, Russians could surprise, but in the end Italians won. So no big surprises. We’ll see the mixed.
NILS MUSCHIOL (PLAYER)
BTRUSSIA: How do you think, who in your team have harder opponents on this championships: men doubles or women doubles?
Nils: I guess, men doubles have stronger opponents at these champ. Because at the women doubles many strong players didn’t participate, like Maraike Biglmaier (Germany), Annelle Luik (Estonia), Hoarau sisters (France), so I guess it’s easy to win for Italy.
BTRUSSIA: At the world team championships in Moscow your team was represented a lil bit different from the current one. Tell us about the team: where are from? how long have you been playing together in doubles?
Nils: Yes, for several reasons, our team changed. So.. Benni lives in Munich, the rest of team – close to Stuttgart. I play with my partner about 2 years, we started in October 2013, he played with his brother before. We prepared for these championships in different ways: I played 3 small tournaments, but had a lot of work, and Benni had his honeymoon after his marriage, so we didn’t practice much. But anyway we will try our best.
Thanks to Team Italy and Team Germany for the comments, and while we chatted with players and supported Russia, the second day of the championships ended, and here's the results:
And traditionally a few comments from our players in the end of the day.
Ivan Syrov about the match against Carli and Meliconi: "First of all, I am very pleased with the level of play that we showed, because we not only have qualified for these Championships, but we reached the quarter final and played against one of the strongest doubles in the world. It's great that we had chance to win, I think we were in several steps from the victory and it shows that we are on the right way and great victories await us in the future".
"From the point of view of tactics, there were some mistakes, and if we work hard, it is possible to win the following matches not as point-to-point, but with some advantage," says Ivan.
"I think today we could show to everyone that we are in the game. I congratulate our opponents, they easily reached the final and I wish them luck. For us, this could be useful, because it would give motivation to achieve higher levels of play," concluded Ivan.
Daria Churakova and Nikita Burmakin after defeating Meliconi and Gasparri in mixed semi-final:
"Thanks to the fans for their support, because, in spite of the darkness and hunger, they supported us to the end. We are happy to win, and finally there are not only Italians in the finals. I believe that today we deserved it. Thank you" - said Dasha.
"We are very excited! Our efforts were rewarded. We could break our psychological barrier that we had at the World Championships in Moscow. We are better physically now, we use time and energy right, and don't have the terrible tiredness, like before" added Nikita.
Live video streaming from 2015 European Beach Tennis Championships:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L11DKD05Kg
Reporter btrussia.com Ekaterina Bobkova
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