Press Release

STAVANGER, NORWAY, July 3, 2004 - The Beach Volleyball world will not mistake Niklas Rademacher and David Klemperer with Germany's top team for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, but they certainly will notice the work the 26th-seeded team did here Saturday in earning their first-ever "final four" appearance together.

Rademacher and Klemperer, who placed 25th last week's in Berlin and then watched German rivals Markus Dieckmann and Jonas Reckerman win last week's SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event, have now upset the sixth-, 23rd-, second- and third-seeded teams in the US$360,000 ConocoPhillips Open.

Top-seeded Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos of Brazil joined Rademacher and Klemperer as the first qualifiers for Sunday's semi-final matches. Emanuel and Ricardo, the defending Conoco Phillips champions, scored wins over teams from the United States and Switzerland Saturday.

After defeating second-seeded Mariano Baracetti and Martin Conde of Argentina 22-20 and 21-18 Saturday morning, the Germans scored a 21-18, 16-21 and 15-10 win in 54 minutes over third-seeded Franco Neto and Tande Ramos of Brazil.

Emanuel and Ricardo, the top-ranked team for the 2004 Athens Olympic games, advanced to Sunday's matches with a 21-16 and 21-18 win in 40 minutes over fourth-seeded Sascha Heyer and Markus Egger of Switzerland. Emanuel and Rego opened play Saturday with a 21-9 and 21-18 win in 34 minutes over eighth-seeded Eric Fonoimoana and Kevin Wong of the United States.

The third of five-straight mixed gender events on the 2004 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour, the women's competition concludes today with an All-United States final with third-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan challenging top-seeded Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs for the $27,000 first-place prize.