Three-Setters Decide Montpellier Semifinals

2018 FIVB World Tour – Montpellier

• September 7-9
• Montpellier, France
• Theatre Helios, Odysseum
• One-Star Event
• Teams
• Schedule/Results

Four countries will be represented in the Montpellier Open semifinals on Saturday morning, the opening event of the 2018 FIVB Beach Tour season. Serbia’s Lazar Kolaric and Djordje Klasnic kept things rolling on Friday after earning their spot in the main draw through the qualification round.

Czech duo Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner; Slovenians Nejc Zemljak and Jan Pokersnik; Serbia’s Lazar Kolaric and Djordje Klasnic and France’s Youssef Krou and Quincy Aye advanced to semifinals with a pair of wins on Friday.

Russia’s Maksim Hudyakov and Ruslan Bykanov and Kolaric/Klasnic, who earned their spots in qualification on Thursday, won their opening round matches on Friday, but only the Serbian duo survived to the semis.

Hudyakov/Bykanov won in straight sets over England’s Chris Gregory/Jake Sheaf (21-13, 21-16), but fell just short against Slovenia’s Zemljak/Pokersnik 23-25, 21-15, 12-15 in Round 2.

Kolaric/Klasnic edged out France’s Louiseau/Gauthier-Rat, overcoming a 21-8 Set 1 drubbing to win 24-22, 15-8 and move to Round 2. The duo then downed Mathias Berntsen/Svein Solhaug of Norway, coming from behind for the 18-21, 21-15, 15-11 win.

Perusic/Schweiner made their way through a pair of three setters to the semis. The Czechs topped Dutch pair Ruben Penninga/Tom Van Steenis 23-21, 18-21, 15-8 and then outlasted top-seeded Anders Mol/Christian Sorum from Norway 18-21, 21-18, 15-13 in Round 2.

Krou/Aye also waded through two tie-breakers en route to Saturday’s action, topping Italy’s Marco Caminati/Enrico Rossi and Austria’s Florian Schnetzer/Daniel Mullner.