MACEIÓ – Forty games marked another round of the playoffs of the 6th World University Beach Volleyball Championship, this Friday (14/09). And after three days of competition, eight pairs stand out as favorites to the title and have just one game to get the semi-finals of the WUC in Maceió (AL).
Laboureaur/Schumacher (GER) vs. Luana/Julia (BRA) and Ross/Day (USA) vs. Urango/Ledoux (USA) face each other for a place in the women’s semi-finals. In the men’s semis, the games are between Luciano/Alvaro (BRA) and Gomes/Marco (ESP); Catschegn/Buhler (SUI) and Dolinger/Shroder (GER). The team winning these games will confront the coming pairs of the recap.
Four Brazilian teams started the WUC and three remain in the tournament. Julia/Luana celebrated the victory against Dubovcova/Nestravoca, from Slovakia, a team who dispute the FIVB World Tour. The Brazilian lost the first set but turned out and won the tie-brake by 15/12. “It was a very difficult game. They are a strong duo, were fifth in the FIVB World Cup in Switzerland. This victory gave us courage to overcome the sequence of games”, said Luana. With renewed vigor, the Brazilians gave no chances to the Spanish Hopf/Simon and won 2-0, securing a place in the next phase of the WUC. “We played hard. We had a difficult key and tough games. We grew during the tournament and we are more focused. It won’t be easy, but we are focused”, added Julia Schmidt.
Pauline and Rachel faced the Swiss Grassli/Huberli in the first game of the day, lost in the tie-break, and went to the recap key. In the second match, the Brazilians faced the partnership of Thailand and won 2-0. Tomorrow they face the Mexican team and just the victory keep the players alive in the WUC.
Luciano/Alvaro gave no chances to the opponents. They defeated the Americans Casebeer/Montgomery and Janiak/Sobczak (POL) and remain unbeaten in the WUC. “I’m more experienced since the WUC in Turkey. In Brazil I’m playing for the title. I formed a duo with Alvaro earlier this year to compete in the national circuit and we were champions of the Brazilian Challenger. The level of this WUC is high, with many pairs who coimpete in the FIVB World Tour, but we want the gold medal”, said Luciano.
Vinicius and Raphael were defeated by Fecteau-Boutin/Wheelan, from Canada. With two defeats the team is out of the WUC.
This Saturday (15/09) the Pajuçara beach receives the games that define the semi-finalists in the World University Beach Volleyball Championship starting at 08h (local time) and continue throughout the day.
(Source: Pollyanna Pádua, CBDU Communications – Photos: Thiago Parmalat)
RESULTS
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