Pool A
Emanuel Rego / Ricardo
Santos
Brazil (No. 1-seeded team) def. Bjorn Maaseide / Iver Horrem
Norway (24) 21-15, 19-21, 15-10 (1:02
duration)
·
Brazil's Ricardo SANTOS and Emanuel REGO,
the number one seeds and favourites for
the gold medal, survived a three-set
scare to overcome Norway's Bjorn
MAASEIDE / Iver HORREM 2-1 (21-15,
19-21, 15-10) in Pool A of the men's
Olympic Beach Volleyball tournament.
The Brazilian pair, reigning World
Champions, led throughout the first set
to a final 21-15, setting what seemed to
be the foundations of a comfortable
victory in their opening match at these
Olympic Games. But obviously the
Norwegians were of a different opinion.
MAASEIDE / HORREM came back from an
early Brazilian lead in the second set
to take charge of matters. At 18-18 the
Norwegians capitalised on a service
error by SANTOS and a stuff by MAASEIDE
on a REGO attack, to make the score
18-20, enough to give them the final
19-21 that forced the match into a
tie-break. Brazil dominated the third
set from the very beginning, quickly
taking enough of a lead to hold onto and
finally turn their fans' misery to joy.
Dax Holdren / Stein Metzger
United States (12) def. Andrew Schacht / Josh Slack
Australia (13) 22-24, 24-22, 15-13 (1:20)
·
The USA's Dax HOLDREN and Stein METZGER
survived an Australian match point, to
rally back and defeat Andrew SCHACHT and
Joshua SLACK 2-1 (22-24, 24-22, 15-13)
in an 83-minute Pool A match in the
Men's Olympic Beach Volleyball
tournament. With neither team gaining
more than a two-point advantage at any
time, the USA lost a set-point at 20-19
in the first set, allowing the
Australians the chance to win the set,
which they did when SCHACHT scored an
ace for a 24-22 set win. HOLDREN /
METZGER again reached set-point at
20-19 in the second set and again the
Australians denied it, losing two
match-points of their own,
before METZGER scored two aces to force
the match into a tie-break. The USA led
throughout the third set, and although
the Australians closed in within a point
at 13-12, they held their lead to finish
the match with a 15-13 win.
Emanuel Rego / Ricardo
Santos
Brazil (1) vs. Andrew Schacht / Josh
Slack
Australia
(13)
Dax Holdren / Stein Metzger United
States (12) vs. Bjorn Maaseide / Iver
Horrem
Norway
(24)
Andrew Schacht / Josh Slack Australia
(13) vs. Bjorn Maaseide / Iver Horrem
Norway
(24)
Emanuel Rego / Ricardo
Santos
Brazil (1) vs. Dax Holdren / Stein
Metzger
United States
(12)
Pool B
Marcio Araujo / Benjamin Insfran
Brazil (2) def. Stephane Canet / Mathieu Hamel France (23) 21-13, 21-14
(0:43)
·
Brazil's Benjamin INSFRAM and Marcio
ARAUJO, the number two seeds of the
Men's Olympic Beach Volleyball
Tournament, sailed past France's
Stephane CANET and Mathieu HAMEL 2-0
(21-13, 21-14) in 43 minutes, to climb
to the top of Pool B. It was the first
step in what is widely believed will be
a road to the podium for the Brazilans.
The French got a slight early lead in
the first set, but Brazil took the lead
for the first time at 8-7 and never
looked back. Far superior in their
attacking efficiency, BENJAMIN / MARCIO
ARAUJO completely dominated the second
set, much to the delight of their
numerous fans.
Christoph Dieckmann / Andreas
Scheuerpflug Germany (11) def. Juan Rosell / Francisco Alvarez
Cuba (14)
21-19, 19-21, 15-10 (1:04)
·
Germany's Christoph DIECKMANN and
Andreas SCHEUERPFLUG suruvived an
attempted comeback by Cuba's Francisco
ALVAREZ / Juan ROSELL, to win their
opening match 2-1 (21-19, 19-21, 15-10)
in Pool B of the Men's Olympic Beach
Volleyball Tournament. The Cubans were
in the lead throughout most of the first
set, but the Germans caught up at 15-15
and capitalized on two kills and one
stuff by DIECKMANN to break away from
16-16 to 19-16. That gave the Germans
enough of an edge to come away with the
first set. Despite trailing for a good
part of the second set, Ch. DIECKMANN /
SCHEUERPFLUG overtook ALVAREZ / ROSELL
to take the lead at 19-18. But a kill
and a stuff by ROSELL and an attack on
the net by DIECKMANN allowed the Cubans
to tie the overall score and force the
match into a tie-break. The Cubans led
again, early in the third set, but once
more the Germans came back to tie at 5-5
and gradually widen their lead to the
final 15-10. The two teams were pretty
much equal on serving, attacking and
digging efficiency, but the Germans
outblocked the Cubans five stuffs to
one.
Marcio Araujo / Benjamin Insfran Brazil
(2) vs. Juan Rosell / Francisco Alvarez
Cuba
(14)
Christoph Dieckmann / Andreas
Scheuerpflug Germany (11) vs. Stephane
Canet / Mathieu Hamel France (23)
Francisco Alvarez / Juan Rosell Cuba
(14) vs. Stephane Canet / Mathieu Hamel
France (23)
Marcio Araujo / Benjamin Insfran Brazil
(2) vs. Christoph Dieckmann / Andreas
Scheuerpflug Germany (11)
Pool C
Martin Laciga / Paul Laciga
Switzerland (3) def. Robert Nowotny / Peter Gartmayer
Austria (22) 21-14, 21-14 (0:35)
·
Switzerland's LACIGA brothers, Paul and
Martin, got off to an excellent start in
Pool E of the Men's Olympic Beach
Volleyball tournament, when they
defeated Austria's Peter GARTMAYER /
Robert NOWOTNY 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) in a
mere 33 minutes. The Swiss, currently
the top-ranked European team in the
world and seeded fourth for this Olympic
tournament, led throughout the match and
outplayed the Austrians in serving
(three aces to one), attacking (24 kills
in 35 attempts to 16/38), blocking (two
stuff blocks to one) and digging (nine
successful digs to six).
Javier Bosma / Pablo Herrera
Spain (15) def. Nikolas Berger / Florian Gosch
Austria (10) 21-14, 21-13 (0:44)
·
Spain's Javier BOSMA and Pablo HERRERA
defeated Austria's Nikolas BERGER and
Florian GOSCH 2-0 (21-14, 21-13) to tie
in first place of Pool C of the Men's
Olympic Beach Volleyball Tournament with
Switzerland's LACIGA brothers. The
Spaniards scored as many as seven block
points (six coming from HERRERA), as
they shut out the Austrians with ease.
They also outclassed their opponents in
attacking and digging. BOSMA and
HERRERA gained early leads in both sets
and found little resistance on their way
to victory, which brings them closer to
a berth in the 16-team Single
Elimination Bracket. GOSCH was a
last-minute replacement to BERGER's
regular partner, Clemens DOPPLER, who
withdrew before the Olympic Games due to
injury. The new Austrian pair had
competed together in only one
international tournament prior to their
arrival in Athens.
Martin Laciga / Paul Laciga Switzerland
(3) vs. Javier Bosma / Pablo Herrera
Spain
(15)
Nikolas Berger / Florian Gosch Austria
(10) vs. Robert Nowotny / Peter
Gartmayer
Austria
(22)
Javier Bosma / Pablo Herrera Spain (15)
vs. Robert Nowotny / Peter Gartmayer
Austria
(22)
Martin Laciga / Paul Laciga Switzerland
(3) vs. Nikolas Berger / Florian Gosch
Austria
(10)
Pool D
Markus Dieckmann / Jonas Reckermann
Germany (4) def. Raul Papaleo / Ramon
Hernandez Puerto Rico (21) 21-14, 21-13
(0:39)
·
Germany’s M. DIECKMANN/RECKERMANN
outclassed Puerto Rico’s HERNANDEZ/PAPALEO
2-0 (21-14, 21-13), as the first round
of men’s Pool D concluded at the Olympic
Beach Volleyball Centre. Despite their
seven service errors, the reigning
European champions had a total of 12
digs and two block-points that boosted
them to gain an easy, 40-minute
victory. M. DEICKMANN/RECKERMANN led
throughout both sets, at no point
leaving their dominance in doubt. The
result leaves the Germans tied for first
place with Sweden’s BERG/DAHL, who had
earlier defeated Norway’s KJEMPERUD/HOIDALEN.
Norway and Puerto Rico are winless.
Bjorn Berg / Simon Dahl
Sweden (16) def. Vegard Hoidalen / Jorre Kjemperud
Norway (9) 21-13, 21-18 (0:44)
·
Spectacular digging by Simon DAHL, and a
couple of crucial block points by Bjorn
BERG, gave Sweden a surprise 2-0 (21-13,
21-18) victory over Norway's Jorre
KJEMPERUD and Vegard HOIDALEN in the
opening match of the Men's Olympic Beach
Volleyball tournament. The two teams
fought point-by-point until 7-7 in the
first set of the Pool D match, but then
the Swedes - helped by a stuff from BERG
on KEMPERUD - broke away to sail to a
comfortable 21-13 victory, much to the
delight of the Swedish fans in the
stands. The Norwegians, seeded ninth in
this Olympic tournament, fought back in
the second set to keep in touch with the
16th seeded Swedes, and even led briefly
at 9-10. But the Swedes came back to tie
the score at 10-10 and then broke away
thanks to a second stuff by BERG on
KJEMPERUD.
Markus Dieckmann / Jonas Reckermann
Germany (4) vs. Bjorn Berg / Simon Dahl
Sweden (16)
Vegard Hoidalen / Jorre Kjemperud Norway
(9) vs. Raul Papaleo / Ramon Hernandez
Puerto Rico (21)
Bjorn Berg / Simon Dahl
Sweden
(16) vs. Raul Papaleo / Ramon Hernandez
Puerto Rico (21)
Markus Dieckmann / Jonas Reckermann
Germany (4) vs. Jorre Kjemperud / Vegard
Hoidalen
Norway
(9)
Pool E
Patrick Heuscher / Stefan Kobel
Switzerland (5) def. John Child / Mark Heese
Canada (20) 28-26, 21-18 (1:01)
·
Switzerland’s Stefan KOBEL and Patrick
HEUSCHER survived a Canadian set-ball at
25-26 in the first set, to edge John
CHILD and Mark HEESE 2-0 (28-26, 21-18)
in Pool E of the Men’s Olympic Beach
Volleyball tournament. KOBEL and
HEUSCHER, seeded fifth in this Olympic
tournament, had already blown six
set-points of their own, before HEUSCHER
made a spectacular dig and got up for a
kill, to clinch the final deciding point
of the first set. The Canadians, bronze
medallists in Atlanta and fifth in
Sydney, are seeded 20th in Athens. They
outserved their opponents, with two aces
to none and trailed only slightly in
blocking (two stuffs to three). But the
Swiss were vastly more efficient in
digging and attacking.
Julien Prosser / Mark Williams
Australia (17) def. Dain Blanton / Jeff Nygaard
United States (8) 21-16, 21-14 (0:39)
·
Australia's Julien PROSSER / Mark
WILLIAMS gave a reality check
to any dreams Dain BLANTON may have been
having of retaining the Olympic title he
won four years ago in Sydney. PROSSER /
WILLIAMS shut out BLANTON and partner
Jeff NYGAARD 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) in just
42 minutes play as the opening day of
Pool E concluded in the Men's Olympic
Beach Volleyball tournament. The USA
have won all the men's Olympic Beach
Volleyball gold medals since the sport
was introduced to the Games in 1996.
The Australians, seeded just 18th in the
Olympic tournament, outblocked the
eighth-seeded Americans with three
stuffs to none and were also more
efficient in their attack as they sailed
to a comfortable and upset victory.
Patrick Heuscher / Stefan Kobel
Switzerland (5) vs. Julien Prosser /
Mark Williams
Australia
(17)
Dain Blanton / Jeff Nygaard United
States (8) vs. John Child / Mark Heese
Canada (20)
Julien Prosser / Mark Williams Australia
(17) vs. John Child / Mark Heese Canada
(20)
Patrick Heuscher / Stefan Kobel
Switzerland (5) vs. Dain Blanton / Jeff
Nygaard
United States
(8)
Pool F
Gershon Rorich / Colin Pocock South
Africa (19) def. Pavlos Beligratis / Thanassis Michalopoulos
Greece (6) 21-16, 24-26, 15-10 (1:18)
·
South Africa's Gershon RORICH and Colin
POCOCK beat Greece's Thanassis
MICHALOPOULOS and Pavlos BELIGRATIS 2-1
(21-16, 24-26, 15-10) in Pool F of the
Men's Olympic Beach Volleyball
tournament today. The South African
pair, who qualified second to last in
the Olympic Qualification rankings, took
a very early 5-0 lead in the first set.
Although the Greeks quickly caught up
at 5-4, the RORICH / POCOCK combination
rallied to widen the gap again and
maintained the difference until the end
of the set. The second set was a closer
affair, with neither of the two
opponents gaining more than a two-point
advantage until 18-16. The South
Africans made it 19-16, but allowed the
Greeks to stay alive and tie the score
at 20-20. With some spectacular
defending, the Greeks finally forced the
game into a tie-break at their fourth
set-ball, when RORICH tried to tip, but
the ball just rolled along the top of
the net and dropped just wide.
Previously, RORICH / POCOCK had blown a
total of four match-points. RORICH /
POCOCK took a quick three-point lead in
the tie-break and kept MICHALOPOULOS /
BELIGRATIS at bay, despite an injury
sustained by RORICH at 11-8. The South
Africans reached their first match-point
at 14-9 and finished the match promptly
at 15-10. The continent of Africa is
represented for the first time in the
Olympic Games in Beach Volleyball since
the sport was incorporated into the
Olympic programme in 1996. The result
diminishes any aspirations the Greeks
may have had of a berth in the Single
Elimination Bracket, and allows the
South Africans to keep up hopes for an
unlikely entry to the top 16.
Mariano Baracetti / Martin Conde
Argentina (7) def. Luis Maia / Joao Brenha
Portugal (18) 13-21, 21-16, 15-5 (0:55)
·
Argentina’s Mariano BARACETTI and Martin
CONDE scored an amazing comeback to edge
out Portugal’s Miguel MAIA and Joao
BRENHA 2-1 (13-21, 21-16, 15-05), in
Pool F of the Men’s Olympic Beach
Volleyball tournament. MAIA and BRENHA,
seeded 18th, stunned the 17th-seeded
Argentineans when they came away with
the first set. But the South Americans,
World Champions in 2001, found the way
to come back in the second set, breaking
away after 7-7, to lead at first with
two points (9-7, 10-8) and then
gradually widen the gap (12-9, 16-10).
The tie-break (the first so far in the
Olympic Beach Volleyball tournaments)
was a walkover, with Argentina gaining
an early lead 5-1, which it never
relinquished, widening it to 10-4 and
12-5. BARACETTI and CONDE based their
victory on better defending and more
successful attacking. Twice in the last
two Olympic Games, MAIA and BRENHA
played in the bronze medal matches but
failed to get onto the podium.
Pavlos Beligratis / Thanassis
Michalopoulos Greece (6) vs. Luis Maia /
Joao Brenha Portugal (18) Mariano
Baracetti / Martin Conde Argentina (7)
vs. Gershon Rorich / Colin Pocock South
Africa (19)
Joao Brenha / Luis Maia Portugal (18)
vs. Gershon Rorich / Colin Pocock South
Africa (19)
Pavlos Beligratis / Thanassis
Michalopoulos Greece (6) vs. Martin
Conde / Mariano Baracetti
Argentina
(7)
|