DiGinatommaso/Silvestre, Jancar/Kotnik Win First FIVB Gold of 2018-19

FIVB Siofok One-Star

• Siofok, Hungary
• Aug. 23-26, 2018
• Schedule/Results

Slovenia’s Tjasas Jancar/Tjasas Kotnik and France’s Romain Di Giantommaso/Jeremy Silvestre were the first gold medalists of the 2018-19 season, winning the season opening Siofok One Star.

The sixth-seeded Slovenians outdid Sweden’s Sara Cavretti/Sofia Wahlen 21-19, 21-12 for the title, capping a 5-1 run through the tournament. The duo went 1-1 in Pool C, but rebounded with four straight wins, two in tiebreak, to reach the final.

In the round of 12, Jancar/Kotnik edged past Switzerlands’ Kim Huber/Tatjana Greber 21-14, 18-21, 15-10. Next up was a 21-12, 21-16 quarterfinal win over Ukraine’s top seeded Iryna Mahkno/Inna Mahkno. Once in the semifinals, the pair rallied past Japan’s Satono Ishitsubo/Asami Shiba (17-21, 21-19, 15-10).

“We didn’t expect ourselves to be successful, I’m very happy,” Jancar said of the team’s first FIVB medal.

Ishitsubo/Shiba rounded out the podium, taking the bronze medal with a 21-14, 21-17 win over Poland’s No. 2 seed Agata Ceynowa/Martyna Kloda. It is the second medal of 2018 for the Japanese duo, who won gold at the Manavgat One Star in June.

On the men’s side, top seeded Giantommaso/Silvestre won the title in tiebreak over Lithuania’s No. 13 seed Patrikas Stankevicius/Mata Navickas (21-15, 18-21, 15-12).

Siofok Men’s Podium

The French pair went 5-0 en route to the gold, taking the Pool A title with two sweeps and cruising through the quarterfinals and semifinals in straight sets to reach the final. Giantommaso/Silvestre topped Finland’s Teppo Pulkkinen/Pekka Piippo (21-14, 21-15) in the quarterfinals and Germany’s Eric Stadie/Robin Sowa (21-16, 21-18) in the semis.

It was just the third tournament for DiGiantommaso as a pairing, following a fifth place effort at the Haiyang Three State (July 22) and 17th place finish at the Tokyo Three Star (July 29). Di Giantommaso was previously paired by Olivier Barthelemy in 2018.

The eighth-seeded Germans sewed up the bronze medal with a 21-18, 21-19 win over Serbia’s No. 5 Djordje Klasnic/Marko Plavsic.