Anapa, Russia, July 27, 2013 – Home country Russia claimed the gold and bronze medal at the inaugural FIVB Beach Volleyball Anapa Open on Saturday.

 

Top seeded Evgenia Ukolova and Ekaterina Khomyakova won the first Russian gold on home soil with a 2-0 (21-10 21-14) over Germany’s Teresa Mersmann and Isabel Schneider.

 

In the bronze medal match Maria Prokopeva and Svetlana Popova beat USA’s Heather Hughes and Kaitlin Sather Nielsen 2-0 (21-16 21-12).

 

In the men’s competition the final four were decided. Russia’s top seeded Konstantin Semenov and Yaroslav Koshkarev play Germany’s Finn Dittelbach and Eric Koreng.

 

Another Russian team, Alexey Pashtukov and Viacheslav Krasilnikov, meets Germany’s Lars Flüggen and Alexander Walkenhorst.

 

Ukolova and Khomyakova win first Russian gold on home soil

Evgenia Ukolova and Ekaterina Khomyakova wrote history on Saturday becoming the first Russian team to win a gold medal in a FIVB World Tour or Open event on home soil. In the final of the Anapa Open they overpowered Germany’s Teresa Mersmann and Isabel Schneider 2-0 (21-10 21-14).

Russia also won the bronze medal in Anapa. Maria Prokopeva and Svetlana Popova defeated USA’s Heather Hughes and Kaitlin Sather Nielsen 2-0 (21-16 21-12). More

 

Germany prevents all-Russian women’s final in Anapa

Germany’s Teresa Mersmann and Isabel Schneider prevented an all-Russian women’s final at the inaugural FIVB Beach Volleyball Anapa Open. In their first ever semifinal the 23rd seeded defeated 6th seeded Russians Maria Prokopeva and Svetlana Popova 2-0 (21-19 21-19) on Saturday.

In the final they will meet Russia’s top seeded Evgenia Ukolova and Ekaterina Khomyakova, who booked a tough 2-1 (21-23 21-19 15-6) against USA’s Heather Hughes and Kaitlin Sather Nielsen. More

 

Only German and Russian teams in men’s final four in Anapa

The men’s final four at the FIVB Beach Volleyball Anapa Open features two teams from home country Russia and two teams from Germany.

Top seeded Russians Konstantin Semenov and Yaroslav Koshkarev will play Germany’s new team Eric Koreng and Finn Dittelbach at 10.00 on Sunday and in the other semifinal Russian qualifiers Alexey Pastukhov and Viacheslav Krasilnikov are up against another new team from Germany, Lars Flüggen and Alexander Walkenhorst. More

 

The men’s semifinals are scheduled for 10.00 and 11.00 on Sunday, the medal matches will be played at 14.00 and 15.00.

 

The double gender Anapa Open is the second of seven FIVB Open events this year. The next one is the Vizag Open in India (September 4-8).

 

Russia will host another event in a few weeks when the World Tour visits Moscow. The Grand Slam is held from August 21-25.

FIVB Anapa Open Tournament Page

FIVB Anapa Open women’s schedule and results

FIVB Anapa Open men’s schedule and results

FIVB Anapa Open Twitter account

 

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