First off, as I somewhat expected, the pools for the women's draw were tweaked. For one thing, they didn't use sequential lettering like I had expected, but most of them had teams moved around (with different seedlines, correspondingly). Here's how they ended up looking:
Pool A
#1 Chen Xue/Xi Zhang (CHN)
#16 Evgenia Ukolova/Svetlana Popova (RUS)
#17 Ekaterina Khomyakova/Maria Prokopeva (RUS)
#32 Zara Dampney/Lucy Boulton (GBR)
Pool B
#2 Sanne Keizer/Marleen van Iersel (NED)
#15 Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (GER)
#18 Doris Schwaiger/Stefanie Schwaiger (AUT)
#31 Fan Wang/Jingjing Ding (CHN)
Pool C
#3 Greta Cicolari/Marta Menegatti (ITA)
#14 Karla Borger/Britta Büthe (GER)
#19 Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy (AUS)
#30 Barbara Hansel/Katharina Schützenhöfer (AUT)
Pool D
#4 April Ross/Jennifer Kessy (USA)
#13 Nadine Zumkehr/Joana Heidrich (SUI)
#20 Lauren Fendrick/Nicole Branagh (USA)
#29 Kinga Kolosinska/Monika Brzostek (POL)
Pool E
#5 Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (GER)
#12 Liliane Maestrini/Barbara Seixas (BRA)
#21 Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré (SUI)
#28 Jennifer Fopma/Brooke Sweat (USA)
Pool F
#6 Kristyna Kolocova/Marketa Slukova (CZE)
#11 Liliana Fernández Steiner/Elsa Baquerizo McMillan (ESP)
#22 Heather Bansley/Elizabeth Maloney (CAN)
#27 Summer Ross/Brittany Hochevar (USA)
Pool G
#7 Maria Antonelli/Agatha Bednarczuk (BRA)
#10 Sophie van Gestel/Madelein Meppelink (NED)
#23 Tatyana Mashkova/Irina Tsimbalova (KAZ)
#26 Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas (CAN)
Pool H
#8 Yuan Yue/Yuanyuan Ma (CHN)
#9 Talita Da Rocha Antunes/Taiana Lima (BRA)
#24 Martina Bonnerová/Barbora Hermannová (CZE)
#25 Daniela Gioria/Laura Giombini (ITA)
Don't know if it was to address those concerns I raised last night about several of the same nations' teams being in the same pools, or if those seedlines were just wrong in the first place.
Kessy/Ross vs. Fendrick/Branagh
Quite a first match of the day for court 2. I wasn't quite able to join for the very beginning, but it was only midway through set 1 when I joined. It's always great to hear Jen direct traffic the way she does — I can't really think of a a louder player off the top of my head. And that's fantastic for her, the more communication the better. From 11-10 at the technical timeout, the Olympic silver medallists slowly built an advantage, with Ross' serve proving a big advantage, as it usually is. An ace brought them to 14-11 on top and later, the rally ending 16-14 probably should have gone to Jen and April as well. You could hear and see their disappointment as Lauren and Nicole's scrambling to keep the ball alive got them a point, the sort of thing you see in beach but usually don't in indoor. Fendrick and Branagh closed to within two again at 20-18, but the next attempt at set point for Jen and April was successful.
Fashion report again — Kessy and Ross wore the regular bikinis while Fendrick and Branagh had cold weather underclothes on both top and bottom. Makes me wonder a little how two teams playing, obviously, in the same conditions would have such wildly different attires. I guess it's nothing more than personal preference.
Second set started off pretty evenly — and I wouldn't have expected a stark difference in talent and execution between these teams. A difference, sure, but not a huge one. Kessy/Ross led 8-6 after two side changes and 12-9 after three with a point on serve. Fendrick and Branagh went on a big run after the automatic timeout, though, on Nicole's serve extending to 15-12 at Kessy and Ross' timeout. At the end of a string of particularly long rallies, Ross at last got her side the sideout at 15-13. Then the match got really streaky, as April rotated to back to serve trailing 16-14 and uncorked a few monsters of her own to put her team back on top 17-16. When Fendrick and Branagh got the sideout, and Nicole went back to serve, she ran it back again to 20-17 and set point. Kessy responded by serving her side back to even at 20-all. Kessy and Ross got their first match point at 22-21, but Branagh and Fendrick had the answer. Kessy's super-smart shot cutting inside the block gave them their second at 23-22, but the somewhat lesser-known American duo also staved that one off. It finally ended on 25-23 with Branagh being whistled for a rare beach double-contact.
I tried to watch, Borger/Buthe vs. Bawden/Clancy, but I must admit I really don't know either of these teams at all. But centre court likewise had a match of teams unknown to me, and it was half over, so best to stick with this one. The Germans wore Under Armour while the Australians didn't. I wonder if a team are required to be both one way or the other, or if one player could decide she wanted to wear cold weather gear while the other not. Doesn't really look like that's possible, but I don't know (hence the question).
It was largely even through two side changes, but in the third group of seven the Germans surged ahead, with three in a row to run from 8-6 up to 11-6 before the Aussies could sideout. It was 13-8 after 21 points, and the Aussies called time prior to the fourth side change, facing a 16-10 hole. They took 4 of the next 5 after that timeout to prompt timeout called by the other side at 17-14. Borger and Buthe recovered to play sideout volleyball and end with a point on serve to take the first set 21-16.
With a more interesting match coming up on centre court, I switched over.
Xue/Zhang vs. Dampney/Boulton
I feel horrible for saying this, but most Chinese names sound the same to me. The players in this match could have been one of the teams that battled May/Walsh so tenaciously back at the Beijing Olympics, or a couple of rank amateurs pulled off the street for all I know. They do bear the #1 seed in this tournament, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the top-ranked team (as odd as that sounds to actually come out and say). I'm interested in this match because of the British team, an actually pretty non-traditional volleyball nation.
But suffice it to say, the Chinese definitely didn't play like rank amateurs. Up 4-3 after the first side change, a nice block put them up two and then a miscue on the British serve receive (playing a ball that was obviously out) made it 6-3 China and an early timeout for the Brits. Their lead extended to 9-5 after two side changes. The Chinese came up with an ace to make it 11-6 and then very nearly another on their next serve as the Brits made the risky gamble to completely let the serve go, but it did indeed land out. A big block at the defacto midway point made it 13-8 China.
My connection cut out for a moment, and when it came back, an ace for the Chinese extended their run to a whopping 18-8. An unforced hitting error made it 20-8 at the fourth side change, giving China 12 set points. The British finally got a sideout, after 9 straight Chinese points, and then a point on serve when China overpassed to at least reach double digits, but that was the end of it.
Perhaps the day was getting warmer as it wen on, because the British gals started with cold-weather bottoms but took them off at the beginning of set 2. They started off playing a bit more evenly, trailing just 4-3 at the first side change and 8-6 at the second. A point on serve before the midway point gave the Brits the edge in the third 'set' of 7, making it 11-10 after 21 points. China called time at 12-12, just as the Chinese-speaking PA announcer was trying to whip the crowd into a frenzy. L'oops. But the home team came out of that timeout strong to take the next 3 in a row and a commanding and (as it happened) insurmountable lead. The Brits closed to within a point on two occasions, but the Chinese put away match point on their second try.
Penggen Wu/Jiaxin Wu vs. Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen
Brouwer and Meeuwsen impressed me in their match yesterday, handling half of the reigning Olympic champions with relative ease. This Chinese duo also hold the #1 seed in their draw, but they lost pretty convincingly in both of their matches yesterday, meaning they play for their very tournament lives in this match.
The match started out with a good run for the Chinese men, a service ace putting them up 3-0 before the Dutch got the sideout. They took 3 of the next 4 to trail by just a point at the first side switch. But the Chinese surged ahead in advance of the second switch, with two big blocks making it 10-4 after 14 points. The Dutch made back a little ground, but still trailed 12-9 after three changes. They made it back within 15-13 at the fourth side switch, in a classic beach volleyball 'chipping away' set. China played a great defensive rally on 18-15 to track down a ball that went a few feet wide of the court, but the Dutch team still got the kill. From 19-16, Brouwer and Meeuwsen impressively rattled off four in a row, Meeuwsen finding the net for some big blocks, to get the first set point.
Following a few sideouts, a long rally on 21-all ended with a long hit on the Dutch side to give China set point, but the Dutch staved it off. An ace gave the Dutch team the next chance at set point on 23-22, but that wasn't to be the end of the set either. Nor were the Dutch set points on 24-23 or 25-24. The Chinese got their second attempt at set point on 26-25, but the Dutch team saved it. China got another chance at 27-26, but a kill off the block and out kept the set going. A Dutch service error made it 28-27, but the Dutch attack attempt found hands as it flew long. Wu and Wu got yet another opportunity at 29-28, and once again the Dutch saved it. After a Dutch service error made it 30-29, China's subsequent serve was very close, but called long by the flagger. Meeuwsen got a huge middle block to get the Dutch their next chance at set point at 31-30. His serve really disrupted the offense on the other side of the net, but the desperate Chinese lunge for the ball found empty court, and 31-31. Their next serve went into the net to give the Dutch the next set point (after the exceedingly rare ninth side change of the set), and this was finally the end of set 1, Brouwer and Meeuwsen winning 33-31.
Couldn't say whether it was fatigue or good old momentum, or whatever, but the Chinese team came out in set 2 looking a lot flatter than they did in either the beginning or end of set 1. They trailed 5-2 at the first change and called their timeout down 7-2. Their lead extended to 9-2, and it was 10-4 at the second switch. The closest the Chinese team came was 4, at 12-8. The Dutch pulled away as the set went on, with a Chinese hitting error making it 19-11 for their largest lead of the set to that point. They had the luxury of 8 match points, sitting at 20-12, but only needed the one, as the Chinese serve receive really failed them in set 2.
It's got to be disappointing for the team with the #1 tournament seed. If nothing else, there had to be a reason the Chinese federation (or whoever make the choice) gave them and not one of the other teams that #1 line. They sure didn't play like they deserved it.
Linyin Xu/Peng Gao vs. Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson
After a stretch of sideouts to start, the Americans went up six at 10-4, for the second side change. This run came on Gibb's serve and featured some great blocking as well as an ace on 8-4. The Chinese took their timeout trailing 11-4. The timeout did effectively ice the server, and Gibb's first serve back flew just long to give the Chinese the sideout. From 11-5, it was mostly back to sideout after sideout, as the midpoint came with the Americans leading 13-8. The Chinese cut it back to 14-12 on what was ruled a hitting error by Patterson, though the American was decidedly not happy about the call, arguing that a block touch should have been called. Their lead down to 2, the Americans called time.
After a long rally, the Americans got their sideout, to go back up three at 15-12. A huge block for Gibb redeemed a pretty awful service reception on 17-16 to keep the set from coming tied again, and you could plainly hear how pumped the guys were to get that block. The Chinese hit on the next rally flew long, and the attacker knew it as soon as he hit it, looking away in disgust. The Americans successfully finished off the set 21-18, playing mostly sideout volleyball the rest of the way.
It was again pretty back-and-forth to begin set 2, being dead-on even after two side changes. A block from Gibb made it 11-9, one of the first two-point leads of the set, and he was again audibly excited to get that. The next rally was long, ending with a kill for Patterson to give the Americans a reasonably solid lead at the halfway point. The Americans extended their lead to four at 13-9. The Chinese got as close again at 16-14, but the Americans finished off the sweep. At 19-15, the Americans were called for some fault (the camera didn't really show either of the referees), which they protested pretty audibly. I thought they might be yellow-carded, but the match continued, and 21-16 was the second set final.
Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo vs. Alexey Sidorenko/Alexandr Dyachenko
This was back to court 2, as the next two teams coming up on centre court were teams I didn't really know. You may not recognize these Kazakhs by name, but I remember them from the amazingly competitive match they played with Dalhausser and Rogers at last year's Stare Jablonki Grand Slam. I've certainly remembered the names, and am pleased to see they, unlike most other teams in the world, remain together after last season.
And they jumped out ahead early in this match, leading 5-2 as the teams changed ends. Once again I was struck by just how many plainly audible whistles there are going off at once. It makes sense that courts would be in close proximity, but I'm legitimately surprised that I've never (as far as I'm aware anyway) seen a player stop because of a whistle blown on one of the adjoining courts.
The big difference early on looked to be terminant hitting on the Kazakh side. Rallies were over once they went boom — not necessarily for Nicolai and Lupo. As points started going longer on both sides, though, the Italians drew closer, coming within a point again at 9-8. The Kazakhs held the slender 11-10 lead at the midpoint. The set came even again at 12's, and the Kazakhs had a word with the flagger on their side about something. Nicolai and Lupo took their first lead at 13-12, but it was even again 14-14 after four side changes.
The Kazakhs called time when they faced their first two-point deficit of the set at 16-14, after a long rally. The point on 16-15, on the Kazakhs' serve, looked like it was going their way at first, but it was eventually reversed and given to Team Italy. A few great hits back-to-back-to-back put the Kazakhs back on top again at 18-17, and Italy's timeout. Nicolai and Lupo took the first two points back to go up 19-18 again, and reached set point first at 20-19. A sprawling dig in the 'back row' so to speak (really no such thing in beach) looked like it would give them a chance to put it away on serve, but the Kazakhs wound up with the kill for the sideout. They then got their own set point at 21-20, but the rip-roarin' serve was fielded cleanly, leading to 21-all. The Kazakhs got another chance at 22-21, but the Italians staved it off again. On 23-22, the Italian hit flew long. After the Netherlands/China match earlier, I can't really say 'finally' about a 24-22 set, but it was longer than normal.
Set 2 began pretty evenly, just as set 1 had been, with the Kazakhs up a single solitary tally after seven. It was 7-up (mmm….thirsty) after two switches, as there just really is not much separating these two duos. The Italians ran off three straight after the second switch to take one of their first sustained leads of the match, behind some front-line blocking that was mostly absent in set 1. The halfway point came with Nicolai and Lupo leading 12-9. They extended to 15-11 at the end of a rally that had someone in the crowd shouting "Great play!" And indeed it was, one of those big defence-turning-to-offence sort of rallies. Unable to cut into that 4-point deficit for several rallies in a row, the Kazakhs took their timeout at 18-14. The Italians got their first set point at 20-17 and nearly let the Kazakhs come back into it, but did manage to put it away on their second attempt on reception, for 21-19 as the final.
Undeterred by their less-than-stellar finish to set 2, Nicolai and Lupo came out very strongly in set 3, leading 4-1 at the first side change. They kept it up to the second change, winning a point on serve with some more great blocking to make it 7-3 after ten points. Sidorenko and Dyachenko got as close as 2 a few times, but no closer. Back-to-back aces for Lupo made it 13-7 after four side changes, and that was just about all she wrote. The final in the 3rd was 15-9.
Again, stopping here so as to not make the post ridiculously long. This may not be necessary for Day Three.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
