2015-06-12 21:04:00 CEST
Women's Semis set in Stavanger: Friday recap
At the Stavanger Major on June 12, Quarter Finals determined which women will move on to Saturday's Semi Finals and medal rounds. Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands will do battle.
Photocredit: Joerg Mitter for Limex Images
WOMEN
After the men finished their group Pool play at the Swatch Major Series stop in Stavanger, Norway on Friday, eight determined women's teams squared off in the Quarter Finals – some having already played two matches earlier in the day. In their Quarter Final matchup against Canada's Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan, the dynamic Brazilian top seeds Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas gave no quarter, racking up a 21-19, 21-15 win that denied the Poreč Major silver medalists the chance to go for a podium repeat.
Simultaneously, the number 12 seed German team of Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst launched an attack against the number 14 seeded sisters Maria Clara and Carol Solberg Salgado of Brazil, and the Germans dominated, ousting the Brazilians in two sets, 21-14, 22-20.
Next up, another Quarter Final contest between Brazil and Germany, as Juliana Silva and Maria Antonelli took on the only team to have won a match against them in the week's Main Draw, Karla Borger and Britta Büthe. The Brazilians got their revenge with a two-set triumph, 21-14 and 21-9.
Rounding out the Quarter Final duels were the Poreč Major bronze medalists, Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy of Australia, versus European champions Marleen van Iersel and Madelein Meppelink of the Netherlands. Like the Canadians, the Aussies too missed out on a chance to fight for a second Swatch Major Series medal, as the Dutch women handed them a two-set defeat, 22-20, 21-19.
Saturday's pivotal Semi Final matchups will pit Brazil's Agatha and Barbara Seixas against Germany's Ludwig and Walkenhorst, with the Brazilians Juliana and Maria Antonelli facing the Netherlands' Van Iersel and Meppelink. The all-out battle of the medal rounds will close the day.
Photocredit: Joerg Mitter for Limex Images
MEN
In men’s Friday action, top-seeds Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt lost to the 16 seeds Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo of Italy, clinching Pool A for the Italians and forcing Alison and Bruno into the first round of Elimination on Saturday. Brazil’s Evandro Goncalves and Pedro Salgado were more fortunate, winning their pool and a “bye” past that first Elimination round. After a slow start, host country Norway is making a stand, logging Friday wins from both the 30th-seeded team of Morten Kvamsdal and Oivind Hordvik, and from Thursday's heroes Iver Horrem and Geir Eithun.
Saturday, the men will play two Elimination rounds and the Quarter Finals to determine the final four.
Photocredit: Joerg Mitter for Limex Images
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