Today was a big day at the beach, a big, big day. Today we saw the return of one of the sport's few household names, as Kerri Walsh made her season debut alongside her once and future partner April Ross. I generally like to keep these day reports chronological, but we'll skip ahead to the American dream team.
They took the court after their compatriots Fendrick and Hochevar had their match against the Swiss top seeds. The organisers for this tournament have — quite annoyingly — budgeted only 50 minutes from the start of one match to the start of the next, so everything has to be rush-rush-rush this week, and even then it's a virtual certainty that you'll fall behind schedule. Last few events, matches have been scheduled to start on the hour, and that's a lot more sensible. Maybe there has been a little standing around in between matches over the last few events, but it's nice to get a breather every now and then, too.
So what all that means is the teams hurried to the court after the end of the previous match. The erstwhile three-time Olympic champion bore some kinesio tape on her right shoulder, but that doesn't usually mean anything. Kinesio tape. Snake oil for the 21st century. I did get a kick out of how she was introduced for the match — "Triple world champion, triple Olympic gold medallist, triple mom, Kerri Walsh Jennings!" I don't care who you are, that's classy.
The opponents for the match were a solid Dutch team, one who have played on Sunday this year, Hague Grand Slam semifinalists Jantine van der Vlist and Marloes Wesselink.
The American dream team started off in a bit of a hole, with Walsh's first hit sailing wide and Ross' first finding the block, putting the Dutch up 3-0 (they sided out to begin the match). Then a ball handling error made it 4-0 for the Dutch. Both Americans protested to the up ref (and I kinda thought only the designated court-captain is supposed to do this, but cripes, if any team can get away with it, this is the team), but the call of course stood. Walsh finally got her first kill of the season, siding out on 4-1, but 4-1 became 6-1 at the first side change. After that came a short string of service errors, but Wesselink's kill off Walsh's serve on 7-3 meant the string of sideouts continued unabated. Ross got one back on serve at 8-4, but the Dutch still led 9-5 at the second side change. The next service point came on the last point before the technical timeout, as Van der Vlist denied Ross at the net to put the Dutch duo back up five.
The Dutch girls targetted Walsh with most of their serves as the set wore on. Her sideout game looked a little iffy to start, but it solidified the more chances she got. After showing some great extension to keep a ball alive on defence, on the 15-11 rally, Walsh curiously hit at such an angle that she basically spiked her own partner. Old habits die hard? At 16-12 on the fourth change, Ross snuck a service ace in along the baseline to draw the Americans back within three, but time was undeniably running out. Ross scored a lovely kill on 17-14 sending it over on 2 to negate the serving strategy from the other side, presaging a small service run to close the gap to 18-16. The Dutch team called time there.
On the first rally back, Walsh came up with one of her first really strong block touches, sending the ball back to Van der Vlist on the other side. She flailed to set Wesselink, who hit wide, and it was a 1-point set. An unforced hitting error from the Dutch brought us even at 18's. Van der Vlist got the sideout there, but the Americans reached set point first on 20-19. The 19-all rally was flatly ridiculous, as both sides did a terrific job of keeping the ball up. Walsh at last got the kill that Wesselink just couldn't dig. On set point, Wesselink attempted a cut shot for the sideout, but it cut too much and didn't clear the net. The vaunted Americans were clearly excited by their 21-19 first set win.
The Dutch team made their adjustments early in set 2, taking the first service point of the set to go up 4-2 on a long rally. This advantage did not last, as they hit long on the first rally after the side change to knot the set again at 4-4. They wanted a touch to be called, but were not thusly relieved by the up referee. On the 4-all rally, Walsh got what I believe was her first scoring block of the match (stroke season), giving the Americans their first lead of the set. The next service points came from Van der Vlist, taking the score from 8-all to 11-8. It was 12-9 at the technical timeout.
Wesselink started off on serve after the technical and affected a little service run of her own, though it was actually her partner at the net doing the scoring. The score made it to 14-9, at which point Walsh hit long at the net. It looked to me like Van der Vlist touched it, and that indeed was the up ref's call, but there was a brief moment of humourous confusion as both sides had players on the service line with balls in hand. Eventually Wesselink tossed hers away. But after siding out, the Dutch girls ran out big, going ahead 17-10. One step forward and three steps back doesn't win you the set in beach volleyball, and it didn't for the Americans here. The Dutch team reached set point on 20-13, and finished it on receive at 21-14.
The Americans led at the first side change of the decider despite serving first, and then added service points (both hitting errors by the other side) to make it 5-2. Van der Vlist and Wesselink called time there. It was sideout after sideout for a while from there, but that string came with some missed opportunities for the Dutch team (whom the crowd seemed to slightly favour, maybe by a 60-40 margin). They gave away several sideouts on hitting or serving errors, and missed a couple of chances for a service point at 7-5 as the Americans were a little all over the place. At 8-5, Ross added a kill on serve to put the Americans up four, a big lead in such a short set. Walsh's serve at 10-6 got an overpass from the Dutch side, and she was quick enough scurrying to the net that she slammed home the winner herself. The closest the Dutch team got again was three, at 12-9. The Americans reached match point at 14-10 and needed only the one shot at it, 15-10 the final.
There's obviously some kinks to work out. Nobody thought (or at least, nobody should have thought) they'd be perfect from the get-go. But they did well to come back in set 1 and win and never really looked troubled in set 3. Set 2 was….not so good for them, but as I said at the outset, these Dutch ladies are no pushovers. They've played on Sunday once this season, and should not be taken lightly. This is a good win for the American dream team, surely the first of many.
Maverick Hatch/Christian Redmann (CAN) vs. Dmitriy Yakovlev/Alexey Kuleshov (KAZ)
This was a preliminary match for men's qualification, meaning whoever got the win would be in action again later today playing a match to determine a spot in the main draw.
Strong serving pressure got the appropriately red-clad Canadians out ahead at the first side change, going from serving first to being ahead 4-3 on reception. To the Canadians' red, the Kazakhs wore blue — it's so nice when they make it easy. The rally that began on Redmann's serve at 6-4 wound up being whistled dead inadvertently (so it would seem), as Redmann served a second time without a point being awarded. It was on the big man's serve (that'd be Hatch) that the Canadians edged ahead 9-5 at the second side change. This match was on court 2, and I'm not sure I'm gonna watch any more from this court, as there were near-constant whistles to be heard (from courts 3 and 4, assuredly) making the action a touch hard to follow. And also, the whistles seemed especially shrill this morning. Those whistles that were for this match consistently served a post-script to points for Redmann and Hatch, as they led 13-8 at the technical timeout.
The Kazakhs consistently served Redmann (not a surprise), and Hatch consistently used overhand sets on the second touch (sort of a surprise, not many setters can get away with those on a regular basis). Staked to a 3-point lead at the de-facto halfway point on the set, Redmann and Hatch didn't need to do anything more than sideout to victory. So they did until their serve at 18-13, claiming another service point on a Kazakh hitting error. The Canadian offence ran pret-ty smoothly, and Redmann's kill brought us to set point at 20-14. The Kazakhs staved off their reception point, mandating a fifth side change for the set, but Canada put away the winner on reception for a 21-15 final.
Set 2 started off sideout after sideout. Redmann and Hatch claimed the first service point at 6-4 with a nice serve leading to some frantic play on offence from the Kazakhs. They eventually hit long, but losing the rally sure wasn't for lack of trying. After their free ball to begin with, they dug Redmann's swing but couldn't get a proper pass/set/spike out of it. Terrific effort, though. They got the service point back in advance of side change number two, Redmann's cut shot failing to clear the net. But just as quickly as that happened, Canada won a long rally on serve at 8-7 to pull two points clear once again. Hatch's block then made it 10-7, and I figured the Kazakhs would call time, but they didn't. A stylish ace for Redmann, an absolute sinkerball by the sideline against which the receiver had no chance, brought us to 11-7. The Kazakhs finally had enough and did call time here.
Redmann's service run continued after the timeout, with another ace putting the Canadians ahead five at 12-7 before the Kazakhs finally did sideout. The score was 13-8 at the technical, just like in set 1. The remainder of the set pretty well resembled set 1 as well. It wasn't strictly sideout after sideout, but it was an even exchange of points up to 18-13 when the Kazakhs added a couple on serve. It was really just a speed bump. Canada reached match point on 20-16 and sealed it on reception for a 21-17 final.
Nadine Zumkehr/Joana Heidrich (SUI) vs. Lauren Fendrick/Brittany Hochevar (USA)
So this match was a nice little centre court antipasto for the main course to follow. Two teams I've been following to certain degrees this season, and it's always nice just to have two teams where I easily know which player is wich.
The homestanding Swiss duo, holding the #1 seed by virtue of playing at home this week, turned first serve into a 4-3 lead on reception at the first side change. Hochevar's tough serve there wasn't returned, and the score knotted. Interestingly, she went to a standing float on her next serve, and Zumkehr had no troubles passing that one. Stick with the heater, Britt. She put some big pace on her serve at 6-all, and Zumkehr again had trouble passing it, Heidrich only able to set much too far off the net for the diminutive Zumkehr to be able to put enough pace on her own hit to have it find the sand. Another out-of-system rally by the Swiss, and the Americans led 8-6 at the second side change. Zumkehr got the service point back on the rally ending 8-all, and this relative stalemate held to the technical timeout with the Americans ahead 11-10 on serve.
11-all was a nice rally for the Swiss side, a big dig for Zumkehr and a kill on 2 from the net player Heidrich. This energised the home fans, their applause and cheers belying that there were quite a few of them present (only a few rows of bleachers were visible from the camera shooting the match). On 13-12, a reception miscue by Hochevar led to a weak hit on her part, easily blocked back by Heidrich. This gave the Swiss team their first 2-point lead of the set, which held to 15-13 at the fourth side change. The Americans came level again at 16-all, but they did not take the lead. Zumkehr and Heidrich reached set point on 20-19. The Americans staved off that one and then the second set point at 21-20. On 21-all, Zumkehr hit into the net, and the Americans got their first set point, at 22-21. The Swiss called time there.
Hochevar made the curious choice to serve Heidrich after the timeout, and she sided out with ease. Her subsequent serve hit nothing but net, though, giving the Americans their second set point. This was the end of the story, as Hochevar made consecutive strong hits through Heidrich's block touch, the second finding the sand. 24-22 was the final.
The Swiss were prompted to take a very early timeout in set 2, as the Americans claimed the first three points on serve. To the delight of the home fans, it didn't take their girls long to equalise, as we were back at level terms on 5-all. But the elastic snapped. Fendrick's kill (seriously, this is the first time I'm using her name?) put the Americans back up by 2 at 7-5, and then Zumkehr hit wide to make it 8-5. The Swiss team did well to keep the ball alive on the 8-5 rally, but playing from back on your heels almost never wins you a point. This was no exception, as Hochevar terminated the rally with a roll shot to left-back, putting the Americans back up four. The Americans added another service point after the side change, before the Swiss girls finally sided out at 10-6. And the chain snapped on the other side. You can't predict this stuff. You really can't. The margin was a scant 11-10 at the technical, just as it was in set 1.
After trading some sideouts, the scores came level again at 13-all when Hochevar just couldn't quite dig the smash from Zumkehr across the net. It wasn't a particularly vertical shot — she was able to field it overhand — but it fell in anyway. The Americans called time there, and took the next two to lead 15-13 at the fourth side change. They took the first point after the side change, on serve, going ahead by three for the first time in the set. Zumkehr protested with the up referee, asking (I believe) for a net fault, but no such call came. The Swiss team got a few sideouts on particularly heavy swings, eliciting cheers from the home crowd. Zumkehr got an ace to make it 19-17, but they didn't really look like a threat as this match reached its inexorable conclusion. Ultimately, I left this match feeling like both teams played well, but the Americans were the victors, 21-18 in the second.
These were actually the only matches I was able to watch in full. My computer overheated midway through the day (add that to the list of problems I've had watching!) and my sleep debt did catch up with me a little, too. But I saw the big event of the day, no question.
Full Day Two results
Men's qualifying
First round
Hatch/Redmann (CAN) d. Kuleshov/Yakovlev (KAZ) (21-15, 21-17), described above
Alexey Yutvalin/Grigoriy Goncharov (RUS) d. Iver Andreas Horrem/Geir Eithun (NOR) (21-16, 17-21, 17-15)
Gianluca Casadei/Paolo Ficosecco (ITA) d. Nicholas Lucena/John Hyden (USA) (21-13, 20-22, 15-10)
Daniel Müllner/Jörg Wutzl (AUT) d. Gabriel Kissling/Jonas Kissling (SUI) (21-19, 20-22, 17-15) Saw some of this match. The Swiss boys were buoyed by the home fans, but couldn't quite seal the deal
Hannes Brinkborg/Stefan Gunnarsson (SWE) d. Maciej Rudol/Maciej Kosiak (POL) (21-15, 21-13)
Sergiy Popov/Valeriy Samoday (UKR) d. Bart Bolsterlee/Tim Oude Elferink (NED) (21-9, 21-15)
Martin Tichy/Jan Dumek (CZE) d. Jackson Henriquez/Leonard Alexis Colina Chourio (VEN) (21-18, 22-20)
Francisco Alfredo Marco/Christian García (ESP) d. Murat Giginoglu/Selçuk Sekerci (TUR) (22-20, 21-17)
Qualfiying round
Evandro Gonçalves Oliveira Júnior/Vitor Gonçalves Felipe (BRA) d. Redmann/Hatch (CAN) (22-20, 27-29, 15-10) Over an hour this match was, which is why it's stupid to expect the next match to start 50 minutes after the last one.
Igor Hernandez/Jesus Villafañe (VEN) d. Yutvalin/Goncharov (RUS) (17-21, 21-16, 15-9)
Ruslans Sorokins/Toms Smedins (LAT) d. Casadei/Ficosecco (ITA) (23-25, 21-19, 15-12)
Müllner/Wutzl (AUT) d. Eric Koreng/Sebastian Fuchs (GER) (18-21, 21-16, 15-13) But due to the withdrawal of Australia's Kapa/McHugh, Koreng/Fuchs make the main draw anyway
Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk (CAN) d. Brinkborg/Gunnarsson (SWE) (15-21, 21-18, 15-12) Yay 🙂
Pablo Herrera Allepuz/Adrián Gavira Collado (ESP) d. Popov/Samoday (UKR) (12-21, 21-18, 15-10) These Spaniards won't be playing qualifiers much longer
Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt (CHI) d. Tichy/Dumek (CZE) (21-16, 27-25)
Daan Spijkers/Christiaan Varenhorst (NED) d. Marcos/Garcia (ESP) (21-18, 16-21, 16-14)
Women's Pool Play
Pool A
#1 Zumkehr/Heidrich (SUI) d. #32 Hana Skalnikova/Patricia Missottenová (CZE) (24-22, 22-20)
#16 Kristyna Kolocova/Marketa Slukova (CZE) d. #17 Lauren Fendrick/Brittany Hochevar (USA) (21-15, 21-18)
Fendrick/Hochevar d. Zumkehr/Heidrich (24-22, 21-18), described above
Kolocova/Slukova d. Skalnikova/Missottenova (21-10, 21-14)
Pool B
#2 Xue Chen/Zhang Xi (CHN) d. #31 Tanja Goricanec/Tanja Hüberli (SUI) (17-21, 21-13, 15-8) I didn't expect this match would be competitive. I did see it (pretty good candidate for centre court, world champs against a local team), and the Swiss girls were on fire to start the match. Order was restored the more the match went on.
#18 Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy (AUS) d. #15 Sanne Keizer/Marleen Van Iersel (NED) (22-20, 21-13)
Xue/Zhang d. Bawden/Clancy (15-21, 21-13, 15-11)
Keizer/Van Iersel d. Goricanec/Hüberli (21-18, 18-21, 15-11)
Pool C
#3 Talita Da Rocha Antunes/Taiana Lima (BRA) d. #30 Ana Gallay/Georgina Klug (ARG) (21-15, 21-19)
#14 Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (GER) d. #19 Emilia Nystrom/Erika Nystrom (FIN) (22-20, 21-16)
Talita/Lima d. Nystrom/Nystrom (21-15, 21-11)
Ludwig/Walkenhorst d. Gallay/Klug (21-16, 21-15)
Pool D
#4 Madelein Meppelink/Sophie van Gestel (NED) d. #29 Jamie Lynn Broder/Kristina Valjas (CAN) (21-17, 22-20)
#13 Doris Schwaiger/Stefanie Schwaiger (AUT) d. #20 Natalia Dubovcova/Dominika Nestarcova (SVK) (17-21, 27-25, 15-9)
Dubovcova/Nestarcova d. Meppelink/Van Gestel (18-21, 21-18, 16-14)
Schwaiger/Schwaiger d. Broder/Valjas (21-18, 21-18)
Pool E
#5 Greta Cicolari/Marta Menegatti (ITA) d. #28 Jolien Sinnema/Michelle Stiekema (NED) (21-11, 21-14)
#21 Jennifer Fopma/Brooke Sweat (USA) d. #12 Liliana Fernández Steiner/Elsa Baquerizo McMillan (ESP) (21-19, 16-21, 15-10)
Fopma/Sweat d. Cicolari/Menegatti (18-21, 21-14, 15-12)
Sinnema/Stiekema d. Liliana/Baquerizo (15-21, 21-16, 15-13)
Pool F
#6 Liliane Maestrini/Barbara Seixas De Freitas (BRA) d. #27 Jana Köhler/Anni Schumacher (GER) (21-18, 21-16)
#11 Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (GER) d. #22 Tatyana Mashkova 2 Irina Tsimbalova (KAZ) (21-19, 21-16)
Lili/Seixas d. Mashkova/Tsimbalova (21-19, 21-23, 15-8)
Holtwick/Semmler d. Köhler/Schumacher (21-15, 21-10)
Pool G
#7 Maria Clara Salgado Rufino/Carolina Solberg Salgado (BRA) d. #26 Barbara Hansel/Katharina Schützenhöfer (AUT) (21-18, 21-15)
#10 Ross/Walsh (USA) d. #23 Van der Vlist/Wesselink (NED) (21-19, 14-21, 15-10), described above
Maria Clara/Carol d. Van der Vlist/Wesselink (21-12, 18-21, 20-18)
Ross/Walsh d. Hansel/Schützenhöfer (21-15, 21-19)
Pool H
#8 Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré (SUI) d. #25 Summer Ross/Emily Day (USA) (21-14, 16-21, 15-13) I saw the first set of this match and wrote it up, but then I fell asleep 🙁 That first set write-up is still here…hidden!
#9 Maria Antonelli/Agatha Bednarczuk (BRA) d. #24 Victoria Bieneck/Julia Großner (GER) (21-17, 21-18)
Bieneck/Großner d. Forrer/Vergé-Dépré (15-21, 21-16, 20-18)
Ross/Day d. Maria/Agatha (21-17, 31-33, 15-13) Tremendous win for the Americans. Good day all around for the American women. Pool H is anyone's rodeo tomorrow, as all four teams are 1-1
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Forrer/Verge-Depre vs. Day/Ross
That "other" Ross girl was also in action on centre court today, though this match surely was placed there simply because it contains a Swiss team. And the match started off staunchly in the home team's favour, as they took five of the first seven rallies in advance of the first side change. It was serving pressure that led the way, and the Americans' reception was dismal on 7-2, as the Swiss team scored an ace off Ross (I believe) and out. 9-4 was one of those weird rallies where the whistle is blown while the ball is in midair. Not sure what the call was, but it favoured the Swiss, and they went ahead 10-4 at the second side change. Surprisingly, the crowd were pretty quiet through all of this. You'd think they'd be more stoked about a Swiss team winning. It was 13-8, with the Swiss team to receive, at the technical timeout.
Day claimed a service ace to draw the Americans within four on 14-10, and it was one of those where the line judge flinched one way and pointed the other. I have to imagine those moments are profoundly annoying for a player, but as long as the call is correct, it doesn't ultimately matter too much. Verge-Depre got the service point back with a block to make it 16-12 at the the side change, and then the Swiss side poured it on a little, prompting the Americans to call time down 18-12. If the timeout iced anyone, it was only the receiver. Forrer picked up an ace to make it 19-12, and then a double hit was called on Day as she tried to hand-set, bringing it to set point on 20-12. And 20-12 was a terrific rally, ending with the Americans getting the sideout to stave off set point. A long hit from Forrer staved off another, but the damage was too much to overcome for the Americans, and the final was 21-14.
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