Pinarella di Cervia, Italy, July 24, 2019 – Two Russian teams lead the standings for the men-only Pinarella di Cervia 1-Star FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event that runs from July 25 to 28.
Maksim Hudyakov and Igor Velichko are seeded first in the tournament that takes place on Italy’s Adriatic Coast in the north east of the country.
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It is Hudyakov and Velichko’s third World Tour tournament together, a run that has featured a 37th place finish at the Hamburg 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and appearances at the Ostrava and Jinjiang 4-Star events.
The 23-year-old Velichko knows what it takes to finish on a World Tour podium having won two gold, one silver and a bronze with former partners. Hudyakov, 29, has won medals on both the World Tour and the FIVB Snow Volleyball World Tour.
Second seeds Maxim Sivolap and Artem Yarzutkin have also finished on the podium several times this season. In June they won silver medals at two 1-Star events, and in March they won a 1-Star gold and 2-Star silver.
Italy’s highest seeds are Jakob Windisch and Matteo Ingrosso, who are seeded ninth. They are one of four host nation teams who qualify directly to the main draw.