João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos, Portugal’s top beach volleyball duo, have bounced back from a rocky start at the Xiamen Challenge in China. After losing their opening match 0-2 to Americans Tri Bourne and Evan Cory, they won their next two matches to secure a spot in the round of 16 and guarantee at least ninth place.
A Strong Comeback
Their turnaround began with a 2-1 win over Germany’s Maximilian Just and Philipp Huster, the university world champions. The match was intense, with Pedrosa and Campos coming from behind to win 16-21, 22-20, 15-12. They then beat French duo Elouan Chouikh-Barbez and Joadel Gardoque 2-0 in the elimination round, with sets of 21-15 and 21-19.
What’s Next
Pedrosa and Campos now face Swiss opponents Yves Haussener and Julian Friedli in the round of 16. If they win, they’ll move on to the quarterfinals, where they’ll meet the winners of the match between Australians Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher, and Swiss duo Marco Krattiger and Leo Dillier.
With their two wins, Pedrosa and Campos have earned at least 460 points on the FIVB rankings and a prize of €2,900. This is their fourth event on the 2025 World Tour, and they’re looking to improve on their third-place finish at the Yucatán Challenge in Mexico.