All But One Brazilian Pair Advances To Main Draw In Rio

2017 FIVB WORLD BEACH TOUR – RIO DE JANIERO

• May 17-21
• Olympic Park, Barra da Tijuca
• Co-ed
• 4-Star Event
• Event Site

The qualification round of the FIVB World Beach Tour event in Rio de Janiero has concluded, moving eight teams of each gender onto the main draw event tomorrow. All but one Brazilian squad advances into the main event, making it seven men’s and eight women’s Brazilian pairs advancing on.

Women

• Julia Großner/Nadja Glenzke (GER) def. Nicole Eiholzer/Dunja Gerson (SUI) 2-0, (21-15, 21-17)
• Ophélie Lusson/Alexandra Jupiter (FRA) def. Julie Gordon/Camille Saxton (CAN) 2-0, (21-17, 21-18)
• Miki Ishii/Megumi Murakami (JPN) def. Phoebe Bell/Nicole Laird (AUS) 2-0, (21-15, 21-11)
• Kinga Kolosinska/Jagoda Gruszczynska (POL) def. Kimberly DiCello/Emily Stockman (USA) 2-0, (21-17, 21-15)
• Joy Stubbe/Jolien Sinnema (NED) def. Victoria Faye Kjølberg/Ane Guro Tveir Hjortland (NOR) 2-1, (21-15, 18-21, 15-11)
• Juliana Felisberta Da Silva/Carolina Solberg Salgado (BRA) def. Maria Francisca Rivas Zapata/Maria del Pilar Mardones (CHI) 2-0, (21-13, 21-11)
• Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini (BRA) def Yulia Abalakina/Ksenia Dabizha (RUS) 2-1, (18-21, 21-19, 17-15)
• Marleen Ramond-van Iersel/Manon Nummerdor-Flier (NED) def. Katharina Schützenhöfer/Stefanie Schwaiger (AUT) 2-0, (21-19, 21-13)

Two Netherland and Brazilian squads advance on to the main draw of the Rio Open tournament with wins in the qualification round. With the Brazilian additions, there is now a total of six Brazilian pairs competing in the main draw event. Germany, France, Poland and Japan also have squads making it into the main event.

All but two matches were sweeps in the qualification round, with Alves/Maestrini of Brazil and Stubbe/Sinnema of the Netherlands fighting through three sets to advance.

Amazing match-point rally for the most exciting game so far!!! Josi/Lili ?? beat Dabizha/Abalakina ?? 2-1 #RioOpen #BeachWorldTour pic.twitter.com/cxc8keDNqY

— Beach Volleyball (@FIVBBeach) May 17, 2017

Men

• Julian Hörl/Alexander Huber (AUT) def. Nico Beeler/Marco Krattiger (SUI) 2-0, (21-19, 21-18)
• Robin Seidl/Tobias Winter (AUT) def. Jonathan Erdmann/Armin Dollinger (GER) 2-0, (21-18, 21-15)
• Maciej Rudol/Jakub Szalankiewicz (POL) def. Bennet Poniewaz/David Poniewaz (GER) 2-1, (21-11, 15-21, 15-12)
• Oscar Brandão/Hevaldo Sabino Moreira (BRA) def. Christopher McHugh/Damien Schumann (AUS) 2-0, (21-19, 21-17)
• Marco Grimalt/Esteban Grimalt (CHI) def. Romain Di Giantommaso/Maxime Thiercy (FRA) 2-0, (21-15, 21-10)
• Christian Sandlie Sørum/Mathias Berntsen (NOR) def. Chris Gregory/Jake Sheaf (ENG) 2-0, (21-15, 21-8)
• Maarten Van Garderen/Christiaan Varenhorst (NED) def. Vitor Gonçalves Felipe/Fernando Magalhães (BRA) 2-0, (21-16, 21-16)
• Sean Faiga/Ariel Hilman (ISR) def. Thomas Kunert/Christoph Dressler (AUT) 2-0, (21-13, 21-19)

Only one match on the men’s side went to three-sets, forcing Poland’s Rudol/Szalankiewicz to work to move onto the main draw event. Two Austria pairs advance into the main event of the Rio tournament in Hörl/Huber and Siedl/Winter.

Adding to the Brazilian power on their home soil is Brandão/Sabino Moreira who took down Australian foes McHugh/Schumann. The only Brazilian team to not advance into the main draw on both the men’s and women’s side of the qualification round was Gonçalves Felipe/Magalhães.

What a rally ???to end a match! 2-0 for Israeli duo Faiga/Hilman vs Kunert/Dressler (AUT) #BeachWorldTour #RioOpen pic.twitter.com/kfx23rOEie

— Beach Volleyball (@FIVBBeach) May 17, 2017

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