First obstacle overcome (and it was not at all obvious) for the Italian couple made up of Gianluca Dal Corso and Marco Viscovich who finished in third place in the group and on the Italian night will face the second obstacle of the >Xiamen Challenge in China, the playoff to enter the round of 16 against the Portuguese Pedrosa/Campos in a challenge between young beach volleyball talents.
The Azzurri came close to scoring already in the first round against the Brazilians Pedro Solberg/Guto who managed to prevail 2-1 after over an hour of a match played at a very high level by the two couples. In the first set the first escape attempt by the Brazilians (10-7) was stopped by the Azzurri who tied at 10. The second break, at 16-13 it is the good one for the green-gold who keep their distance and win 21-18.
In the second set, the pairs were always very close and never with more than two points ahead of their rivals. Viscovich/Dal Corso cancel a match ball to the Brazilians at 20-19, then they even have six available before canceling the second pojnt match and, on the ninth attempt they won with a score of 31-29. Character and great coolness for the Italians who went 5-8 down in the tie break, managed to get closer in the final (11-13) but they have to surrender with a score of 12-15.
In the final which was worth third place in the group the Azzurri prevailed 2-1 against the French Aye/Aye at the end of another great battle. In the first set the Azzurri go down 13-16, draw at 18, drag their rivals to the advantage but at the fourth attempt they raise the white flag: 23-21. In the second set, point to point again until the first break by the Azzurri which brings the score to 14-11 but the French respond immediately and bring themselves back to parity at 14. We proceed point to point until 18-18 and then comes the break of 3 -0 which allows a Viscovich/Dal Corso to equalize (21-18).
In the third set the Azzurri got off to an overwhelming start and took a 7-3 lead but the match wasn’t over. With a break of 0-4 Aye/Aye overtake the Italian pair at 9-10 but in the final Viscovich/Dal Corso find themselves again, go back ahead 11-10 and they score a 3-1 break which allows them to win 15-13. At 2.30 the Azzurri will be on the field for the playoffs against the Portuguese couple Pedrosa/Campos who this year have never gone higher than 19th place. There are no precedents between the two couples.
It should be noted that the FIVB’s intervention had some positive effects on the Chinese tournament. There were only three withdrawals from playing the final due to injury (behavior which could be sanctioned) compared to 11 in the last tournament in Recife.
MEN’S TOURNAMENT
Group semi-finals. Pool F: Hodges/Schubert (AUS)-Grimalt/Grimalt (CHI) 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 19-17), Wu Jiaxin/Ha Likejiang (CHN)-Hoppe/Shaw (USA) 0- 2 (9-21, 13-21). Pool E: Hörl/Horst (AUT)-Krattiger/Breer (SUI) 2-0 (26-24, 21-15), Schachter/Dearing (CAN)-Smith/Webber (USA) 0-2 (25-27, 21-23). Pool D: Nicolaidis/Carracher (AUS)-Stankevicius/Knasas (LTU) 0-2 (21-23, 13-21), Evans/Budinger (USA)-Krou/Gauthier-Rat (FRA) 0-2 (9- 21, 18-21). Pool C: Mol/Berntsen (NOR)-Pristauz/Seidl (AUT) 2-0 (21-14, 21-11), Crabb/Brunner (USA)-Pedrosa/Campos (POR) 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-13). Pool B: Bello/Bello (ENG)-Aravena/Droguett (CHI) 2-0 (21-13, 21-18), Pfretzschner/Winter (GER)-Bedritis/Rinkevics (LAT) 2-0 (21-18, 21-15). Pool A: Pedro Solberg/Guto (BRA)-Dal Corso/Viscovich (ITA) 2-1 (21-18, 29-31, 15-12), Diaz/Alayo (CUB)-Aye/Aye (FRA) 2- 1 (21-16, 16-21, 15-10)
First place group finals: Hodges/Schubert (AUS)-Hoppe/Shaw (USA) 2-0 (21-17, 21-16), Hörl/Horst (AUT)-Smith/Webber (USA) 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) ), Stankevicius/Knasas (LTU)-Krou/Gauthier-Rat (FRA) 0-2 (0-21, 0-21), Mol/Berntsen (NOR)-Crabb/Brunner (USA) 2-0 (21-0 , 21-0), Bello/Bello (ENG)-Pfretzschner/Winter (GER) 0-2 (22-24, 19-21), Pedro Solberg/Guto (BRA)-Diaz/Alayo (CUB) 0-2 ( 0-21, 0-21)
Third place group finals: Grimalt/Grimalt (CHI)-Wu Jiaxin/Ha Likejiang (CHN) 2-0 (21-15, 21-11), Krattiger/Breer (SUI)-Schachter/Dearing (CAN) 2-0 (21-12, 21) -17), Nicolaidis/Carracher (AUS)-Evans/Budinger (USA) 1-2 (21-18, 11-21, 12-15), Pristauz/Seidl (AUT)-Pedrosa/Campos (POR) 1-2 (17-21, 21-16, 17-19), Aravena/Droguett (CHI)-Bedritis/Rinkevics (LAT) 0-2 (14-21, 20-22), Dal Corso/Viscovich (ITA)-Aye/Aye (FRA) 2-1 (21-23, 18-21, 13-15)
Playoffs: Dal Corso/Viscovich (ITA)-Pedrosa/Campos (POR), Bedritis/Rinkevics (LAT)-Evans/Budinger (USA)
Round of 16: Draw-Diaz/Alayo (CUB), Pedro Solberg/Guto (BRA)-Stankevicius/Knasas (LTU), Hodges/Schubert (AUS)-Crabb/Brunner (USA), Krou/Gauthier-Rat (FRA)-Krattiger/Breer (SUI), Grimalt /Grimalt (CHI)-Hörl/Horst (AUT), Bello/Bello (ENG)-Mol/Berntsen (NOR), Hoppe/Shaw (USA)-Smith/Webber (USA), Pfretzschner/Winter ( GER)-Draw
WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT
Group semi-finals. Pool F: Liliana/Paula (ESP)-Fejes/Milutinovic (AUS) 2-0 (21-12, 21-15), Wang/Dong (CHN)-Plesiutschnig/Schützenhöfer (AUT) 2-0 (21-18, 21-16). Pool E: Raupelyte/Paulikiene (LTU)-Akiko/Ishii (JPN) 2-1 (18-21, 21-14, 15-12), Esmée/Zoé (SUI)-Gruszczynska/Ola (POL) 2-1 ( 21-11, 15-21, 15-10). Pool D: Vergé-Dépré/Mäder (SUI)-Vieira/Chamereau (FRA) 2-1 (21-12, 21-23, 15-12), Pavan/McBain (CAN)-Chacon/Whalen (USA) 2- 1 (19-21, 23-21, 15-9). Pool C: Álvarez/Moreno (ESP)-Helland-Hansen/Olimstad (NOR) 2-0 (21-14, 21-14), Bansley/Bukovec (CAN)-Polley/Zeimann (NZL) 2-0 (25- 23, 21-14). Pool B: Klinger/Klinger (AUT)-Placette/Richard (FRA) 0-2 (17-21, 17-21), Ittlinger/Borger (GER)-Sude/Kunst (GER) 2-0 (22-20, 21-18). Pool A: Naraphornrapat/Worapeerachayakorn (THA)-Ahtiainen/Lahti (FIN) 2-0 (21-19, 21-17), Ludwig/Lippmann (GER)-Harward/DeBerg (USA) 1-2 (22-20, 18-21, 12-15).
First place group finals: Liliana/Paula (ESP)-Wang/Dong (CHN) 2-0 (21-19, 21-14), Raupelyte/Paulikiene (LTU)-Esmée/Zoé (SUI) 0-2 (19-21, 15-21) ), Vergé-Dépré/Mäder (SUI)-Pavan/McBain (CAN) 2-0 (21-19, 21-19), Álvarez/Moreno (ESP)-Bansley/Bukovec (CAN) 1-2 (21-18 , 14-21, 12-15), Placette/Richard (FRA)-Ittlinger/Borger (GER) 1-2 (21-18, 16-21, 13-15), Naraphornrapat/Worapeerachayakorn (THA)-Harward/DeBerg (USA) 1-2 (21-15, 12-21, 10-15)
Third place group finals: Fejes/Milutinovic (AUS)-Plesiutschnig/Schützenhöfer (AUT) 2-0 (21-14, 21-17), Akiko/Ishii (JPN)-Gruszczynska/Ola (POL) 1-2 (19-21, 24-22 , 17-19) Vieira/Chamereau (FRA)-Chacon/Whalen (USA) 2-0 (21-19, 21-9), Helland-Hansen/Olimstad (NOR)-Polley/Zeimann (NZL) 1-2 ( 14-21, 22-20, 13-15), Klinger/Klinger (AUT)-Sude/Kunst (GER) 2-0 (21-15, 21-15), Ahtiainen/Lahti (FIN)-Ludwig/Lippmann ( GER) 0-2 (25-27, 19-21)
Playoffs: Fejes/Milutinovic (AUS)-Gruszczynska/Ola (POL), Klinger/Klinger (AUT)-Polley/Zeimann (NZL)
Round of 16: Draw-Harward/DeBerg (USA), Álvarez M/Moreno (ESP)-Naraphornrapat/Worapeerachayakorn (THA), Vergé-Dépré/Mäder (SUI)-Wang/Dong (CHN), Esmée/Zoé (SUI)-Ludwig/Lippmann (GER), Vieira/Chamereau (FRA)-Liliana/Paula (ESP), Raupelyte/Paulikiene (LTU)-Bansley/Bukovec (CAN), Placette/Richard (FRA)-Pavan/McBain (CAN), Ittlinger/Borger ( GER)-Draw
