Italian beach volleyball pairs, Ranghieri/Alfieri and Cottafava/Dal Corso, successfully advanced to the main draw, showcasing their Olympic prowess.
Ranghieri and partner Alfieri secured a victory against an English team in the second qualification round. (Photo: Andreas Pichler/Beach Volleyball Baden)
The men`s competition at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Baden Challenge commenced on Wednesday with the qualification rounds in the picturesque Austrian city. Notably, Italy stood out as the only nation to have two of its teams successfully progress to the main draw, with each pair featuring a player boasting prior Olympic experience.
The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to resume on Thursday at the Thermalstrandbad Baden, where the 32-team main draw will kick off with its initial 16 pool play matches.
Ranghieri/Alfieri`s Dominant Performance
Alex Ranghieri, an Italian Olympian who competed at both the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Games, delivered an exceptional performance in Baden alongside his partner Manuel Alfieri. The formidable duo clinched two decisive straight-set victories, marking their third successful qualification for a Beach Pro Tour Challenge event this season.
The 38-year-old blocker and his 27-year-old teammate began their campaign by comfortably overcoming Germans Johannes Kirsten and Nicola Kössler with scores of 21-13, 21-12. They maintained their impressive form in the subsequent match, defeating the English pair Issa Batrane and Frederick Bialokoz 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) to confidently secure their spot in the next stage.
Cottafava/Dal Corso`s Hard-Fought Wins
Samuele Cottafava, another distinguished Italian Olympian from the Paris 2024 Games, and his partner Gianluca Dal Corso, faced a more challenging path but ultimately achieved their objective. They required more sets to triumph in their two qualification matches against resilient Austrian teams.
The Italian pair started strongly, securing a two-set win (21-17, 21-18) against local favorites Michael Mario Klemen and Philipp Sponer in the first round. Their second, more demanding match of the day saw them mount a commendable comeback to defeat compatriots Laurenc Grössig and Mathias Seiser in a thrilling tie-breaker (21-15, 16-21, 15-13).
Grössig/Seiser vs. Cottafava/Dal Corso – Match Highlights, 08/06/2025
Other Noteworthy Qualifiers
Among other Olympic athletes participating in the men’s qualifier in Baden were the Austrian duo Robin Seidl and Alexander Huber, who represented their country at the Rio 2016 Games. They successfully reached the second round but were eventually eliminated by the French team Elouan Chouikh-Barbez and Joadel Gardoque in a closely contested two-set match (27-25, 23-21).
The five other teams that earned their places in the main draw by remaining undefeated in the qualification rounds included Tadeas Trousil/Matyas Dzavoronok (Czechia), Markus Mol/Adrian Mol (Norway), Maximilian Just/Philipp Huster (Germany), Mads Møllgaard/Nicolai Hovmann (Denmark), and Gustavo ‘Guto’ Carvalhaes/Vitor Felipe (Brazil).
Tournament Schedule Overview
Thursday`s schedule for the Baden Challenge will feature the inaugural round of pool play for the men`s teams. On Friday, the pool play will conclude, followed by the intense Round of 24 matches. The Round of 16 and quarterfinals are slated for Saturday, with the semifinals and medal matches bringing the exciting event to a spectacular close on Sunday.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick