Thai ironwomen Tanarattha Udomchavee and Varapatsorn Radarong thrilled the home crowd today. (photo credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images AsiaPac)
This is when we'll have a really good sense of who's going where. After this round, eight teams will be sitting pretty with regards to their chances to win it all, sixteen teams will be alive but have their work cut out for them, and eight teams will be packing their bags. Let's get right to it.
Evgenia Ukolova & Ekaterina Khomyakova (RUS) vs. Geeske Banck & Stefanie Hüttermann (GER)
This is a winner's bracket match. Ukolova and Khomyakova were fourth at the Stare Jablonki grand slam and and took bronze at the Finland open last month. Banck, partnered with Kira Walkenhorst at the time, turned a few heads in Poland with a win in pool play as the #31 seeds over the second-seeded Italians (and eventual silver medalists) Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti.
Auspicious beginning for the Russians, as their first serve was not returned, despite dives from both Germans. Then, somewhat amusingly, three service errors in succession brought it to 2-2. Only then did the first actual rally of the match take place, with a kill for the Russian side. They ran off two more to go up 5-2 before the side change, and the run extended to 6-2 with another ace. That prompted the Germans to call timeout. The Germans took the first two back from timeout to get it to 6-4, and drew even at 8 as the Russians had trouble keeping their hitting attempts inside the lines. A kill from the German side gave them their first lead at 9-8, but they gave it right back on the next serve by putting it straight into the net. The teams traded sideouts to the 21-point timeout, with Banck and Hüttermann up a single point.
The Germans took the next 2-point advantage at 14-12, then going up 15-12 on a hitting error. That stands as quite a comeback from the initial 6-2 deficit they were in. The lead did not extend past three until the final point, but it didn't need to, and Banck and Hüttermann took the first step to what would have had to be considered a minor upset with a 21-17 first set win.
The German team took the first 2-point lead in set number two at 4-2, promptly surrendering the advantage right after with a netball service error. The Russians returned the favour on 5-4. After a series of sideouts, the Russians knotted the score at 8, and then took the lead with an ace that Banck and Hüttermann misjudged pretty badly. After that, they called time. The Russian run continued after the timeout, to 11-8. Only a service error ended it. Traded sideouts later, the 21-point timeout came with Ukolova and Khomyakova up by three.
But the Germans tied the score again at 13, with the Russians again shooting themselves in the foot a bit with hitting errors. They pulled out to an 18-15 lead with some greater serving efficiency,but again the Germans closed the gap to tie it at 18, leading to a timeout called by Russia. They got very lucky on the second point back from timeout, as a let-serve just snuck over the net to fall in on the German side and let them serve for the set at 20-18. They closed it out on serve receive at 21-19, to set up the always-exciting race to 15.
Off a powerful service ace, Banck and Hüttermann took the first 2-point lead in the decider at 4-2. The point that followed ended with a joust at the net, one the Russian player was clearly excited to have won. The Russians continued to have difficulties with hitting and service errors, as they could not draw even on their first couple of opportunities on serve, finally doing so at 6-6. Many consecutive sideouts followed. Ukolova and Khomyakova finally went up by two at 11-9, before a timeout. They also took the first point back from the timeout to take a very commanding 12-9 lead. And surely enough, they closed out the match 15-11.
Banck and Hüttermann are not eliminated, but they do fall into a loser-out match tomorrow.
Janne Kongshavn & Ane Guro Tveit Hjortland (NOR) vs. Michaela Vorlová & Karolina Rehácková (CZE)
This is a loser's bracket match. I'm not even gonna try to type those names in my rundown (got 'em for above by copying and pasting from FIVB), so I'll just refer to the teams by their nationalities.
This match started just as the first did, with Norway getting on the board first with a service ace. After the Norwegians went up 2 at 3-1, the Czechs rattled off three straight to take the lead back from them. I wonder, how often does one wear a bikini in Norway? After the Czechs took two to have the advantage of serving with the lead, many, many sideouts followed, till they went up two again at 8-6. The Norwegians tied it again at 8, but did not take the lead this time, as their serve on 8-8 went wide. It sounded like the Czech team was saying "It's out!" in English. An ugly hitting error by the Czechs on 9-9 gave the Norwegians the advantage of serving with the lead. The Czechs were called for a net violation, something you don't see all that often in beach, to get us to the 21-point timeout with the Norwegians up a point.
The Czechs took the first two back from the timeout to regain the advantage. The Norwegians then were the first team to assert any sort of control, rattling off three straight to take the first 2-point lead in a while at 14-12, and then another to force a Czech timeout at 15-12. They got the next point back from timeout to go up four, before the Czechs finally ended the run, but it was too little too late. That advantage largely held steady for them to the end of the first set, with the team from Norway winning it 21-16.
The second set was very tight and very back-and-forth at the outset, with the Czechs taking the first 2-point lead at 6-4. A very well-executed block got them to 7-4, and if the evenness of 90 percent of this match was anything to go on, that made it look like we were heading for our second straight three-setter. But the Norwegians held fast, and tied it again at 10. The Czechs went up a point heading to the 21-point timeout. The Norwegians reasserted themselves coming back from the timeout, taking the first three to go up by two and force a quick timeout from the Czech side. I again heard the Czechs say "It's out!" on their serve receive at 14-11; does the phrase sound the same in the Czech language, or were they actually speaking English? But unfortunately for them, the 3-point cushion the Norwegians had built up to that point only grew larger, as they closed out the match with a 21-15 win in the second set.
Goes to show the linescore doesn't alwaystell the tale, because these two teams were pretty evenly matched. Contrast that with the (21-15, 21-15) match, not so different a score, that we had in the first session where one team solidly outplayed the other. Even when you think you understand volleyball, there's always more to learn.
The Czech team is eliminated, and the Norwegian team will again be at risk of elimination in their match tomorrow.
Summer Ross & Heather Hughes (USA) vs. Maria Tsiartsiani & Vasiliki Arvaniti (GRE)
I'm sure getting a healthy dose of this young American team. That's all right, I've been liking what I've seen so far, so the more the better. At some point, though, you've got to wonder when fatigue might set in. This team played two country quota matches along with their one in qualification. That's a heftier schedule than just about everybody else in the winner's bracket.
The southpaw Hughes was unable to make it three straight matches starting with a service ace, as the Greeks took the first 3 points, and seizing a rather stunningly fast 5-1 advantage. I lost my connection for a few minutes after that, and when I got it back, it was 12-6 Greece. Perhaps fatigue is setting in now (or maybe the Greek team is just better). The score was 13-8 at the 21-point timeout. The spunky American tandem got as close as 14-11, but the Greeks would allow them no closer. They rattled off three straight from there en route to a 21-14 win in the first set.
Ross and Hughes took an early lead in set number two, however, taking four of the first five points mostly behind Hughes' serve, and held a 5-2 edge when the teams switched sides for the first time. The advantage to grew to 4 points at 7-3, and then to 5 at 9-4 after a service ace off the hand of Ross. This prompted the Greeks to call time. Another ace back from the timeout got the Americans to a very surprising 10-4 advantage. From 11-5, the Greeks ran off four straight, including one on a hitting error from Ross where the Americans protested, looking for a touch to be called. This prompted them to call time, although they puzzlingly did it one play before the automatic timeout at 21 points. The Greek run continued on the one point between timeouts, to make it 11-10.
Back from the next timeout, the American meltdown continued with a hitting error into the net. Finally the run ended with a service error from the Greek side. After ticking off six straight, I think one is entitled to serve a ball a foot or two long. Ross and Hughes hung with the Greek tandem for a while, trading sideouts, but they weren't able to take the lead again. The Greeks first went up 2 at 17-15. Again Ross and Hughes hung tight, tying the match again at 20 after fending off two match points. The Greeks eventually put the set away 24-22.
To Ross and Hughes' credit, they were playing against a much more experienced team (Tsiartsiani is a 2008 Olympian) and in the case of Ross, a much older team. But for Ross especially to make it this far as a freaking 19 year old (Hughes is 26), they're already the story of the tournament as far as I'm concerned. They showed some determination after first seeming like they were beating themselves up a little when they lost their big lead early in set two. And they're not out yet. They'll be in action again tomorrow.
After this match the camera feed became a little skitzy. A match I really wanted to see (involving Kessy/Ross) was next up on the court that I'd been following all day, but the picture froze, and then cut to centre court, froze there, cut back…I gave up after about 20 minutes 😛 I do hope I get to see a Kessy/Ross match at some point. They're quite a treat to watch, especially after the two Brazilian teams that are breaking up both no-showed.
Yes, they just keep playing
That match that was on centre court while Kessy and Ross were playing on the outer court? It might have been nice to see that one, too, because that match came pretty close to breaking into the record books.
In a loser's bracket match, the Thai tandem of Varapatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee defeated the Norwegians Vilde Solvoll and Cindy Treland by a final score of (19-21, 21-16, 30-28).
That's a race to 15 twice over!
As I said, it falls just short of entering the record books. The FIVB record curiously lists the top 11 longest matches, with the "shortest" being 79 minutes. This match lasted 71 minutes. It falls just short by points, too, as the two sides combined for 135 points, and the bottom of that list is two matches that produced 138 points. It's also not the highest-scoring third set ever, which surprised me a little. A 2005 match between teams from Cuba and Brazil produced a 35-33 third set.
This match today does, however, appear to be the longest and highest-scoring of 2012. And what makes it even more remarkable is that the Thai team played an hour-plus three-setter in round 1, too, against Emily Day and Brittany Hochevar. They'll sleep well tonight!
The longest and highest-scoring match in FIVB history would have been something amazing to see, as it involved two of the best teams in history. In Acapulco in 2005, Larissa & Juliana beat May-Treanor & Walsh (28-26, 40-42, 15-13) in a cool 100 minutes. Can you even imagine? 42-40 second set!! I think I would have been exhausted just watching that!
Full round two results
Winner's bracket
#16 Mizoe/Ishida (JPN) d. #1 Holtwick/Semmler (GER) (21-16, 17-21, 15-12). I didn't get to see either of Holtwick and Semmler's matches today, but after they were pushed to three sets by the #32 seed I'm not shocked they lost here. This Japanese duo looked really good in the first round.
#2 Kessy/Ross (USA) d. #18 Gioria/Giombini (ITA) (21-13, 21-14)
#3 Ukolova/Khomyakova (RUS) d. #19 Banck/Hüttermann (GER) (17-21, 21-19, 15-11)
#4 Vozakova/Vasina (RUS) d. #13 Sinnema/Wesselink (NED) (21-13, 21-11)
#5 Agatha/Seixas (BRA) d. #12 Broder/Valjas (CAN) (22-20, 21-11)
#6 Tsiartsiani/Arvaniti (GRE) d. #22 Ross/Hughes (USA) (21-14, 24-22)
#7 Fendrick/Branagh (USA) d. #23 Day/Hochevar (USA) (21-14, 21-19)
#8 Tsimbalova/Mashkova (KAZ) d. #9 Sannok/Tenpaksee (THA) (21-13, 21-15) Nearly all chalk so far with seven of the top eight seeds still sitting pretty.
Loser's bracket
#17 Heidrich/Betschart (SUI) d. #32 Numwong/Hongpak (THA) (21-15, 21-16)
#31 Kusano/Ozaki (JPN) d. #15 Stiekema/Braakman (NED) (21-17, 21-18). Disappointing result to me, as I was hoping Stiekema and Braakman could make a run.
#30 Clancy/Artacho (AUS) d. #14 Bieneck/Großner (GER) (21-19, 21-19)
#20 Nystrom/Lahti (FIN) d. #29 Krebs/Laboureur (GER) (18-21, 21-14, 16-14)
#21 Van der Vlist/Mooren (NED) d. #28 Galindo/Galindo (COL) (21-17, 21-14)
#11 Elwin/Iatika (VAN) d. #27 Florian/Matveeva (ESP) (21-19, 21-16)
#10 Radarong/Udomchavee (THA) d. #26 Solvol/Treland (NOR) (19-21, 21-16, 30-28)
#24 Kongshavn/Hjortland (NOR) d. #25 Vorlová/Rehácková (CZE) (21-16, 21-15)
Nuwong/Hongpak, Stiekema/Braakman, Bieneck/Großner, Krebs/Laboureur, Galindo/Galindo, Florian/Matveeva, Solvol/Treland, and Vorlová/Rehácková are all eliminated from the tournament.
Tomorrow's schedule
Winner's bracket
Kessy/Ross vs. Fendrick/Branagh (yes, please!)
Ukolova/Khomyakova vs. Tsiartsiani/Arvaniti
Vozakova/Vasina vs. Agatha/Seixas
Tsimbalova/Mashkova vs. Mizoe/Ishida (gottta like the Japanese girls in this one)
Loser-out matches
Holtwick/Semmler vs. Kusano/Ozaki
Sannok/Tenpaksee vs. Radarong/Udomchavee (I'm sure the home crowd will be happy either way since it's Thailand vs. Thailand, but I'm pulling for the irongirls)
Elwin/Iatika vs. Broder/Valjas
Clancy/Aratcho vs. Sinnema/Wesselink
Nystrom/Lahti vs. Banck/Hüttermann
Van der Vlist/Mooren vs. Ross/Hughes (looks to be a winnable match for them)
Kongshavn/Hjortland vs. Day/Hochevar
Heidrich/Betschart vs. Gioria/Giombini
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