2015-06-11 10:24:00 CEST
Wet Wednesday in Stavanger
Forty-eight hours of beach volleyball across four courts in one cold, rainy day left its victims at the Stavanger Major on Wednesday. The Italian bronze medalists from the Poreč Major are out, while Canadians look strong.
A steady drizzle and temperatures that barely grazed 12 degees C. didn't stop men's Qualifying play on day two of the Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series in Stavanger, Norway on June 10, but a powerful team from Germany did stop Italy's Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula in their bid to medal at a second stop in a row. The bronze medalists of the Poreč Major went down to the advancing fourth seeds Markus Böckermann and Lars Flüggen in a bruising two sets, 31-33, 21-23.
Photocredit: Samo Vidic/ Limex images
In total, eight teams from seven countries advanced after winning two Qualifying matches on Wednesday. Among those failing to move forward were Mexico's Lombardo Ontiveros L. and Juan Virgen, who lost a two-set struggle to the Italians Matteo and Paolo Ingrosso. Also facing disappointment were former World Champion Marcio Araujo of Brazil and his new partner Saymon Barbosa, who were eliminated by the Canadians Sam Pedlow and Grant O'Gorman. It was the first time the Canadian pair had made it through Qualification for a World Tour tournament this season, and not even wind and rainfall could dampen their spirits. “That's how we play back home in Canada, so let it rain!” Pedlow grinned. Canada will now have three men's teams in Stavanger's Main Draw, including Poreč silver winners Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter.
Photocredit: Samo Vidic/ Limex images
Other qualifying teams included the top seeds Vitor Felipe and Alvaro Filho of Brazil, as well as Theo Brunner and Nick Lucena of the United States, Piotr Kantor and Bartosz Losiak of Poland, Ryan Doherty and John Mayer of the United States, and Isaac Kapa and Christopher McHugh of Australia. With 24 teams already pre-entered into the Main Draw, men's Pool play matches begin Thursday to set the field for Elimination rounds that will start Friday.
Photocredit: Samo Vidic/ Limex images
The women too, braved the unpredictable weather of a Scandinavian spring, and battle lines are drawn for the conclusion of women's Pool play on Thursday. Top seeded Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas of Brazil won both their Pool group matches on Wednesday, as did the Poreč Major silver medalists, Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan of Canada, and bronze medalists Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy of Australia.
The most dramatic match was the day's closer in Center Court, when Norway's own Janne Kongshavn and Victoria Faye Kjølberg played Kinga Kolosinska and Monika Brzostek of Poland. The Poles won the first set easily, 21-13, and had pushed to match point in the second set when, spurred by a large block of Norwegian supporters wearing T-shirts printed with their faces, Kongshavn and Kjølberg fought back, initiating a see-saw battle that ended in defeat for the locals, but a glorious one – with the hightest-scoring set in Swatch Major Series history, 41-39.
Photocredit: Samo Vidic/ Limex images
Newsletter
