Niteroi, Brazil, April 29, 2017 – Agatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa Santos will sit at the top of Brazilian beach volleyball for the next few months after they won gold at the Super Praia at Icarai beach in Niteroi on Saturday.
Agatha and Duda beat Maria Elisa and Carol Horta 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) in the final, while Brazil Tour winners Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes defeated Ana Patricia and Rebecca Silva 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 15-13).
It is the third season in a row that Agatha has topped the Super Praia podium after she and Barbara Seixas won gold in 2015 and 2016.
Since Agatha teamed up with Duda at the start of the year the pair have won silver on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour at the Fort Lauderdale Major Series Tournament and gold on the Brazil Tour at Jaoa Pessoa.
“I did not think about being a three-time champion,” Agatha said. “My focus was on being a champion with Duda. Maria and Carol were tough opponents and it was a great game to play.
“We are a team formed by people from different parts of Brazil, with different cultures. We have several ups and downs, with different ideas, but with a common goal, which is victory.”
In the men’s tournament the final on Sunday will come down to a clash between the Brazil Tour champions Alvaro Filho and Saymon Santos, and Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt, the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, the Netherlands 2015, FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and Toronto 2016, FIVB World Tour Finals gold medallists.
Alvaro and Saymon defeated Thiago Barbosa and George Wanderley 2-0 (21-18, 21-18), while Alison and Bruno beat Evandro Goncalves and Andre Stein 2-1 (21-17, 15-21, 15-10).
Alvaro has already picked up one trophy in Niteroi after he was named Brazilian Male Player of the Year, while Larissa collected the women’s award.
The Brazil Beach Volleyball Tour began in September 2016 and ended in Vitoria in early April. The tour also went through Campo Grande, Brasília, Uberlandia, Curitiba, Sao Jose, Joao Pessoa, Maceio and Aracaju.