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The Portuguese beach volleyball duo, João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos, got off to a rocky start at the European Championship, falling 2-1 to Swedish pair David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, the reigning Olympic and World Champions.
In their opening match of the competition, held in Stare Jabłonki, Poland, the Portuguese athletes showcased their quality by taking the first set 21-18. However, the experienced Nordic duo mounted a comeback, securing the subsequent sets 21-14 and 15-11 to clinch the victory.
Competing in Group B, João Pedrosa and Hugo Campos will return to action on Thursday morning, facing the Israeli pair Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov. The group is rounded out by the Swiss team of Leos Friedl and Jordan Kerr. The tournament is set to conclude next Sunday.
Despite the high degree of difficulty and the tournament's modified pool play format, which pitted the Portuguese against the Olympic champions right from the start, the team's ambition remains undimmed as they compete for the third consecutive year among Europe's elite.
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