World’s best back on the beach at this week’s Tepic Elite16

As the Beach Pro Tour season has settled into its early-season stride, hitting consecutive stops in Brazil and another in Mexico, something still felt amiss. Namely, the best players.

Almost all of them.

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth have played just four matches this season, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes six. Miles Partain and Andy Benesh haven’t played at all. Their last appearance was in the Beach Pro Tour Finals in December.

The spring months have been a test of patience...