All Russian Men’s Finals Set at Yangzhou Four Star

FIVB Yangzhou Four Star

• Oct. 9-14, 2018
• Yanzhou, China
• Schedule/Results

It will be an all-Russian final at the Yangzhou Four Star as No. 4 Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Oleg Stoyanovskiy and No. 5 Konstantin Semenov/Ilya Leshukov will battle for the top podium spot Saturday night.

No. 10 Gustavo “Guto” Carvalhaes/Saymon Barbosa Santos of Brazil will take on No. 11 Sam Pedlow/Sam Schachter from Canada for third place.

Both Russian pairs knocked out American duos, with Semenov/Leshukov topping Casey Patterson/Stafford Slick (21-19, 21-16) in Round 2 and Krasilnikov/Stoyanovskiy downed Miles Evans/Bill Kolinske (21-14, 21-15).

Semenov/Leshukov then ousted Austrians Robin Seidl/Philipp Waller (21-8, 23-21) and earned a spot in the finals as Pedlow/Schachter pulled out of the semifinals due to injury.

Krasilnikov/Stoyanovskiy pummeled Latvians Martins Plavins/Edgars Tocs (21-11, 21-8) to move on to the semifinals, where they issued Guto/Saymon a 21-16, 21-12 loss.

Americans Ryan Doherty/Billy Allen also bowed out in Round 2, falling in tiebreak against Poland’s Jakub Szalankiewicz/Maciej Rudol.

The bronze medal match is at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, while the championship match is set for 3 a.m. ET Sunday.

Krasilnikov/Stoyanovskiy are looking for their second podium finish of 2018, following a runnerup effort at the Xiamen Four Star in April. A win would give the pair its first FIVB title since winning the Hague Three Star in June 2017.

Semenov/Leshukov are aiming for their second title of the year, following a win at the Mersin Three Star in May. The pair also finished on the podium at the Ostrava Four Star in June with a third-place effort.

Guto/Saymon are playing in their first tournament together since finishing second at the 2016 Klagenfurt Major.

Pedlow/Schachter’s lone podium finish of 2018 came in a runnerup effort at the Commonwealth Games in April. The pair’s best FIVB finish was a fifth-place effort at the Itapema Four Star (May 20).

Bronze Medal – 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday – Guto/Saymon vs. Pedlow/Schachter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIrZGg586fA

Gold Medal – 3 a.m. ET Sunday – Krasilnikov/Stoyanovskiy vs. Semenov/Leshukov