Upset Runs Continue for Valkova/Zolnercikova, Arnholdt/Welsch at Daegu

FIVB World Tour – Daegu One-Star

• Daegu, South Korea
• July 14-16, 2017
• Schedule/Results

The top two seeds as well as a pair of upset minded duos will make up the semifinal field of the Daegu One-Star after the first and second rounds wrapped up on Saturday morning.

American’s Amanda Dowdy and Irene Pollock moved on to the second round as did Thailand’s  Varapatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee in the final two first round matches early Saturday morning.

A few hours later, the pairs alongside the six match winners from Friday began second round action.

Top seed Miki Ishii and Megumi Murakami of Japan moved on to the semifinals, as did Germany’s Lisa Arnholdt and Leonie Welsch, who pulled off a first round upset of the tournament’s No. 3 seed on Friday. The Czech side of Katerina Valkova and Diana Zolnercikova also continued their upset run after knocking off the No. 4 seed in the first round.

Arnholdt/Welsch won in the lone three-set match of the tournament so far, defeating New Zealand’s Julia Tilly/Alice Bain 26-24, 18-21, 16-14.

Ishii/Murakami took out the lone previous 2017 World Tour semifinalist of the field, New Zealand’s Shaunna Marie Polley and Kelsie Wills, who finished fourth at the Monaco One-Star June 18. Ishii/Murakami won 22-20, 21-15.

The four semifinal teams are: No. 1 seed Ishii/Murakami, No. 2 Radarong/Udomchavee, No. 13 seed Valkova/Zolnercikova and No. 14 seed Arnholdt/Welsch.

Ishii/Murakami will face Valkova/Zolnercikova, while Radarong/Udomchavee will take on Arnholdt/Welsch for a spot in the finals. The matches begin at 2 a.m. ET Sunday. The podium matches will be played at 6 and 7 a.m.

Daegu One-Star Round 1 Results (Saturday)

Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock (USA) def. Cecilie Kollner Olsen/Laerke Mygind Gronfeldt (Denmark) 21-18, 24-22

Varapatsorn Radarong/Tanarattha Udomchavee (Thailand) def. Sayaka Mizoe/Suzuka Hashimoto (Japan) 21-13, 21-16

Second Round Results

Katerina Valkova/Diana Zolnercikova (Czech Republic) def.  Amanda Harnett/Kelsey Veltman (Canada) 21-17, 21-15

Lisa Arnholdt/Leonie Welsch (Germany) def. Julia Tilley/Alice Bain (New Zealand)  26-24, 18-21, 16-14

Miki Ishii /Megumi Murakami (Japan) def. Shaunna Marie Polley/Kelsie Wills (New Zealand) 22-20, 21-15

Varapatsorn Radarong/Tanarattha Udomchavee (Thailand) def. Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock (USA) 21-19, 21-17