João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos, Portugal’s top beach volleyball duo, suffered a tough 2-0 loss to Latvia’s Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots in the opening round of the Elite16 Brasília tournament. The Portuguese champs fought hard but ultimately fell short, losing 21-18 and 21-19.
In the first set, Pedrosa and Campos trailed 15-7 but staged an impressive recovery, narrowing the gap to 19-18. However, Plavins and Fokerots seized control in the final stretch, securing the win.
The Portuguese pair showed similar grit in the second set, leading 17-15 and holding a three-point advantage twice. Yet, their opponents maintained their composure under pressure, ultimately prevailing.
Group F Standings Take Shape
The loss puts Pedrosa and Campos on the back foot, as they’ll face Brazil’s Arthur Silva and Adrielson Santos Silva in their next match. Meanwhile, Silva and Santos Silva suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the US duo Miles Evans and Chase Budinger, losing 22-20 and 21-19.
The Brazilian pair’s loss means Pedrosa and Campos will need to win their upcoming match to stay in contention. The stakes are high, and every point counts in the competitive world of beach volleyball.