Today the women's event winded down (odd to be seeing that happen on a Friday, and a little odder to see Grand Slam itself end entirely on a Saturday tomorrow), as they had both semifinals and both finals. The men played from the second knockout round through the semifinals, to set up the gold and bronze finals tomorrow.
I've got to 'confess' that I had a ragng headache all day, and it's sort of a miracle I got as many write-ups in as I did (and apologies to the twitter followers as I did almost no live-tweeting). But here's what I had. I did watch the first match of the day, featuring the top-seeded men.
Casey Patterson/Jake Gibb (USA) vs. Markus Böckermann/Mischa Urbatzka (GER)
The Germans got the ball rolling first with three on serve opening up the match. The Americans got their first sideout when Gibb, who normally does the blocking, made a nice dig, landing well off the playing area after his dive. That set up Patterson for the hit on 2, which found the sand. Themargin remained 3 at the side change, on 5-2. Gibb's block on serve at 5-3 pulled back a service point, and another roof a little later got the Americans within a point on 7-6. He then got the equaliser with the cross-court kill to bring us to the second side change, which got the crowd up and cheering. From 8-all, Casey and 'Spiker' ran off five straight to get to the technical timeout. You'll notice I offer no description of those points. My stream got really choppy around there, and only came back on 18-11, as the Americans extended their lead that far. From there, it was sideout after sideout to set point, which Urbatzka gifted by hitting into the net.
Bockermann and Urbatzka again got off to a good start in set 2, winning four of the first five and five of the first seven points. It's odd how quiet this got the obviously US-partisan crowd, who were very loud just minutes earlier on set point. The similarities to set 1 continued after the first side change. In the first, the Americans made their comeback and stormed into the lead and eventual big win (scoring 19 of the final 26 points in the set) right off the bat after the side change. In the second, Urbatzka added an ace before the Americans sided out, but then they rattled off 4 straight to come even at 6 and prompt the Germans to call time. The Germans got their sideout to go back up 7-6 and had a shot to lead by 2 at the side change, but Gibb came up with the block to keep the set level. Jake Spiker Gibb really became Jake Blocker Gibb in the points leading up to the second set technical timeout, getting two straight to go up 10-8. After the sideout for 10-9, a fine serve from Bockermann end up with a poor offensive set from the Americans, easily dug and then killed by Urbatzka. Patterson got the sideout to make it 11-10 at the technical.
The mohawk superstar added a winner on serve to put the Americans up by 2 on 12-10, and danced his way to back to the defensive position. He added another to make it a 3-point set for the first time. Bockermann sided the Germans out on 13-11. At 14-11, Gibb and Patterson kind of backed into one, as Bockermann and Urbatzka watched a rather soft block fall in right between them. Another block from Gibb put the Americans up five at 16-11. It went point-for-point (if not strictly sideout after sideout) to 19-14, when Gibb's latest and geatest block got it to match point., which the Americans sealed right there for the 21-14 final.
Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (GER) vs. Maria Clara Salgado Rufino/Carolina Solberg Salgado (BRA)
This was after the teams of Rosenthal/Dalhausser and Saxton/Schalk squared off on centre court, and I would have really liked to have written that one up, but it just wasn't happening. Fortunately (?), it wasn't terribly competitive, as the Americans won two easy sets.
Brazil took the early lead in this match, going up two on 7-5 and three on 9-6. 10-7 was then an outtstanding rally, with all four players getting involved on defence as well as offence. It ended with a kill at the net for Maria Clara, as she swung against the defender Holtwick at the net. Germany called their timeout tthere, on 11-7, probably as much to get a breather as anything else. The margin between the two teams was 5 points at the technical timeout.
The Salgado sisters maintained their five-point after the technical timeout. The Germans had a shot to peel back a service point at 14-10, but a diving dig and a line roll shot from Carol kept the sideouts flowing. Maria Clara added a service winner on the next rally to go up 16-10, and then another to make it a 7-point set on 17-10. Semmler's ace after the fourth side change made it back within 5, but the Germans had too far to go and and too little time in which to do it. The Salgados reached set point on 20-14, and finished it on reception.
Semmler got a little bit of luck at the beginning of set 2, getting a trickly little creepy-crawler of a kill as she hit into the top of te net and had it go over. That made it 4-2 in their favour, but Maria Clara got the point back with a disputed ace on 4-all. Holtwick and Semmler implored the up ref to climb down and look at the mark in the sand, but he preferred to rule in concert with the line judge (who ruled in and kept the flag in that position for a good 15 seconds after the rally ended). The Germans briefly went out ahead 2 again, but the Brazilians had the equaliser on 6-all and then an ace for Carol made it 7-6. That prompted a quick timeout from Holtwick and Semmler. The sisters went up 2 for the first time on 8-6, Carolina getting the block. On the next play, Carol scored another ace. She continued to target Semmler with her serves, who had big troubles passing. The score was 12-9 at the technical timeout.
Continuing to go after Semmler on serve, something the sisters weren't doing at the very beginning of the match, paid dividends with a back-to-back couple of aces to make it 15-9. The resultant rally at least lasted a few volleys, but still went to the Salgados on serve. The Germans had a shot to sideout on the 16-9 rally, with Holtwick digging the swing from the other side such that it pretty nicely set Semmler at the net, but the latter swung long. On 17-9, both sisters played a terrific rally — a dive for a dig, a dive for a set, and then the put-away. The kill shot was kind of an awkward-looking cross court roll, as Carol faded away from the play with her jump, but it found the line for the point. The Germans finally sided out to make it 18-10, at side change number four, but they were finished. There was no fifth side change necessary, as Brazil reached match point on 20-10 and converted on their second reception attempt for a 21-12 final.
Taiana Lima/Talita Da Rocha Antunes (BRA) vs. Summer Ross/Emily Day (USA)
I would have called this a massive mismatch a week ago, but now, who knows? Talita and Lima, 3-time champs this season, have looked really vulnerable, and Ross and Day, perhaps energised playing almost literally in their backyards, have looked fantastic (such that I hope they become a regular partnership). So I was ready for anything in this one.
Young Summer Ross started the match on serve in style, getting a dive-bomb of an ace in front of Lima for the first point of the match. That presaged a scrappy run of sideouts, as both teams refused to let the other score off serve again. The Brazilians finally did, on 8-all, with a fine point from Lima to get the up on her side and then find the sand on the American side. Lima was able to swing for the fences, so to speak, on the 9-8 rally, and got her kill off th block and out. That was all the Americans wanted to see, as they called time there. They pulled back a service winner on the last rally before the technical timeout, drawing to within a point on 11-10.
The two teams continued to mostly trade sideouts after the technical timeout. It's good on the Americans that they were the equal of the Brazilians there. Talita and Lima achieved a little separation on 17-14, with Talita out-blocking Day at the net, but a sideout for the Americans and then a hitting error by Lima made it a one-point set again. At 18-16, Talita found herself in perfect blocking position (no accident) to reject Ross this time and re-establish the 3-point lead crucially late. Ross came up with a big transition play on 19-17, diggint the heater from Lima and finding the sand herself again to make it 19-18. That prompted Brazil's timeout.
Talita got the sideout to bring up set point on 20-18, and then that rally was absolutely crackin'. It ended with the Americans out of their regular playing positions, with Ross getting the block against Lima. On 20-19, Brazil again failed to terminate the set, and Ross got the massive equaliser on the end line. Ross then missed her serve to make it set point gain for Brazil, but the Americans staved it off. They also staved off set point on 22-21, and then Talita's long hit on 22-all gave the Americans their first set point. The American girls took it right there as Lima hit long for a 24-22 final.
Talita and Lima ran out ahead early in set 2, taking five of the first six. The Americans gave them a few of those points on some bad unforced errors, a surprisingly quick turnaround from how set 1 ended. Day and Ross called time there, down 5-1. They remained calm and collected, and touched off a run of their own coming back from the timeout. They took four of five to make it back within one single point on 6-5. Lima got one of the service points back with a beautiful cut shot to make it 8-5, appearing to hit line until the last possible instant when she cut angle. It was 8-6 at the second side change.
The Americans kept siding out, and then an unforced error from Talita brought the match level at 9-all. On that rally, Ross came up with a terrific couple of digs leading to a kill for her partner and take the lead. The Americans led by 11-10 at the technical timeout.
The Brazilians sided out to make it 11-all, and that rally was just excellent, with all four players making excellent plays. Talita eventually terminated with a line roll to put her side back on top a point. On serve at 13-all, Day put her side back on top with a poke shot after her dig. She came up with another huge dig, against Lima's heater, on 14-13. That also led to a kill to give the Americans a sideout advantage. I thought the South Americans might have called time there, but they held off from doing so. They managed to sideout to make it 15-14, but the Americans kept siding out too, and then Ross made another dandy dig/hit transition to edge her team out ahead by 3 at 18-15. Finally, the Brazilians expended their timeout there.
On the 18-15 rally, Day had a chance to swing for one of the three points left for the Americans to reach the final, but ran into Talita's block. Then on 18-16, Lima served into the top of the net and over for a let-ace, making it a one-point set. Again the Americans stayed calm and collected, despite the bad break, and Day got the sideout to bring it to 19-17, and two sideouts later it was match point for the the home team. Lima sided out to stave off the first match point, and then Day's roll shot was dug, leading to a tip shot from Talita for the kill. The most experienced woman on the court then got the block against Day for set point Brazil at 21-20. All they needed was the one chance at it, as Lima made a terrific dig and scored the kill on a left-side cut shot for a 22-20 second set final.
Both teams started off a little tentative in the decider. The points were evenly split through two side changes, on 5-all. Ross got the kill on her serve to make it 7-5, the first 2-point lead of the set. This rally involved Day coming up with a dig for a change, as she read Talita's pokie perfectly. At 7-6, a long rally ended with a net fault being whistled against Lima. You somewhat hate to see that, but replays showed it was the correct call. The score was 8-7 at the third side change. Brazil came back level on 9-all as Talita dug the heater and then had her own find the sand. A rare service reception error by the Americans, Day to be specific, led to the Brazilians reaching 10 first, and Day and Ross called time there.
The timeout effectively iced Lima as the server, as her serve on 10-9 flew long. On 11-10, the Brazilians had a couple of chances to swing for the 2-point lead, but Day's line roll ended the rally. Lima apparently wanted a net fault to be called on Day, but replays showed that it was in fact Lima herself who had net-touched. Lima got the big service point to make it a 2-point gap after all with a pokie for 13-11. Day's heater went un-dug on that rally to bring us to 13-12. Ross made the curious choice to serve Talita there, and she showed why teams have been really reticent to do that this week, easily putting away the winner. At 14-12, Day staved off the first match point getting through the block and down.
On 14-13, Day went back to serve and Ross stood at the net to block. It occurs to me that Ross is one of the tallest defenders going right now, so this ought to be something in the team's bag of tricks. She got the block against Lima to send us to extras for the third straight set. Brazil got their second match point on 15-14, and Talita got the huge block to finish the match on that rally to finish out the match.
Alison Cerutti/Emanuel Rego (BRA) vs. Sean Rosenthal/Phil Dalhausser (USA)
Both of these teams won earlier in the day, the Americans against the Canadian duo Saxton/Schalk, as mentioned, and the Brazilians over another tandem of Americans Doherty/Rogers. Set up an interesting quarterfinal date involving four highly decorated players.
It was back to one fixed camera, no replays, and no commentator for this match. What barbarity. The match began with a few consecutive sideouts. Alison's kill to make it 3-2 went off Dalhausser and out — more specifically, off Dalhausser's hat and out. Only glanced off his block touch, so that's kind of a bad break. The Brazilians then got two on serve to lead 5-2 at the side change. They extended to four for the first time at 8-4, as Superman and the Beast really had troubles getting out of the starting gates. Dalhausser's block against Alison to make it 8-6 at the second side change served to energise the crowd, but it took all of no time for the Brazilians to get the point back. The Americans decided to let Alison's serve on 9-6 go, in between them, and it fell in for an ace. Nobody disputed the call. It was 12-9 at the technical timeout.
After four sideouts following the technical timeout, the Brazilians got two on serve, first with a nice transition play from Emanuel and then with an unforced hitting error from Dalhausser. Emanuel gave one of those points back with an unforced error of his own to bring us to 16-13. The Americans got it back to within two on the next rally, and Brazil called time. For one of the only times all week that I could recall, Dalhausser seemed to be hitting his serves with regularity. He also came up and blocked nicely on the 16-14 rally, stuffing Alison to get the crowd up and cheering. His serve on 16-15 resulted in a poor offensive set from the Brazilian side, and Alison hit long. Then on 16-all, Dalhausser served the Americans into the lead with the let-ace. On 17-16, Emanuel hit into the antenna, continuing their rather large collapse. They finally sided out on 18-17, and got the service winner at 19-18 to make it so the Americans would have to score on serve themselves to win the set. On 20-19, Dalhausser's serve it the top of the net and….just fell back on his own side. It was extras in set 1.
But not many. Dalhausser got the sideout to make it 21-20, and then rejected Emanuel (with one hand) for the 22-20 final.
The first rally of set 2 was a terrific one. Felt like it was almost a solid minute long. Shot after shot and dig after dig it went until Rosenthal finally terminated with a line roll. And then Dalhausser missed his serve into the net right afterward. Gotta be a letdown. Gotta be. Alison and Emanuel took the early 2-point lead on 4-2, and this was maintained through several consecutive sideouts. The next point on serve was Alison's, as he devoured an overpass to make it 10-7. Emanuel's kill off the block and out made it 12-8 Brazil, quieting the fans. They got even more mum when Alison's ace made it 13-8 at the technical timeout.
Serving from 14-9, Alison got back-to-back aces. Rosenthal almost saved the first, but the second just sort of died in front of Dalhausser. Then on 16-9, Emanuel found the sand with a line roll to put the Brazilians up eight, and the Americans decided to head to the benches again. It didn't matter much. The Brazilians kept up the pressure and reached set point on 20-11. The Americans ably fended off three set points but succumbed on the fourth, as Dalhausser's serve landed long.
The Americans got out of the gates faster in set 3 than in either of the first two. I'm sure there are those who would say they got the 'momentum' at the end of set 2, but frankly I don't really buy into that. Momentum's only as good as the last rally. What the Americans did get was five of the first seven for a solid, if early, 3-point lead. After some sideouts, Dalhausser added a service winner on 7-4 to make it a 4-point set, a lead which really should hold up as good when the target number is a scant 15. The lead held to the Americans' reaching 10 at 10-6. After siding out, the team from Brazil took back a service point with Rosenthal hitting just long. He got the sideout on the next rally to make it 11-8 and keep the set from becoming too interesting, and then scored with a cut shot to all but seal the match at 12-8. Brazil called time there.
It didn't slow the roll. On 13-9, Dalhausser had the answer against Emanuel on the left side to set up match point for the Americans, and then had another straight up the gut against Alison to seal the deal.
Day/Ross vs. Holtwick/Semmler
Not a long layoff between the Americans' semifinal and this bronze medal final. In the early going of this match, the Americans had whoever wasn't serving stay at the net to block, much like they had late in their match with Talita/Lima. Young Summer made this look like a brilliant choice, getting consecutive blocks for the first 2-point lead on 3-1. An unforced hitting error from Day brought the match even again at 4, and then Holtwick's jump-floater for an ace put Germany on top for the first time. On 6-5, the German offence broke down a little leaving a free ball as the return. It looked like the ball was going to land long, but Ross played it anyway, and failed to do anything with it. The German lead reached three at 8-5 and then four at 10-6. Semmler's dive bomb of a serve got them out ahead 12-7, and the score at the technical timeout was 13-8.
The lead increased for Germany coming out of the technical timeout, with consecutive aces for Holtwick bringing them to 15-8. At 15-9, Holtwick set Semmler too close to the net, and Ross took the resulting joust for the kill and service point. An ace for Ross brought the Americans back to within 16-12. At 17-12, the Americans took a very long rally for sideout, Day terminating with a roll shot. It was probably too late to come back and win the first set, but it showed their determination, if nothing else. Semmler hit long to bring the Americans back within 19-16, but she successfully sided out on the first rally after the fifth side change to bring up set point. Semmler went for it on serve, but it landed wide. Then on 20-17, Ross came up with a good dig and got the kill against no block. On the second service reception attempt, Semmler put set point away, for a 21-18 final.
The Americans scored first to begin set 2, just as they had in set 1. This time, the Germans equalised immediately, at 2-all, and take the lead on 3-2 with a kill from Holtwick. That play looked like it could have ended in the Americans' favour a few different times, so Holtwick did well to keep it alive and eventually put it away. The set stayed tight, mostly point-for-point and sideout-for-sideout, leading to 7-all at the second side change. They took two straight there to prompt the Germans into calling their timeout. They got the next service point to make it 10-all, when Ross tried a cutesy tip shot that failed to clear the net. Rosscame up with a big block against Semmler to make it 11-10 at the technical timeout.
On the first rally after the technical timeout, both the pass and set left a little to be desired, leading to an easy net point for Day. 13-11 was a long rally, ending with a wide hit from Holtwick to put the Americans ahead by three. 14-12 was another long rally, all four players laying themselves out at one point or another. The play ended with an over-dig from Holtwick that landed just wide on the other side. On 15-13, Ross bluffed a swing on 2 before setting Day on the right side for her kill. I wonder if that was intentional, and if it confused the defence on the other side at all. The Americans kept siding out, and led by 19-16 at the fifth side change. After the sideout to 19-17, Germany crucially came level on 19's, following an unforced error from Ross and a swing from her into Semmler's block. They called time with the scores tied, and Ross successfully sided out on 20-19 for set point.
The Germans staved it off and then took one on serve to get their first mtach point, as the set went into extras. The Americans saved the 21-20 match point, and then the next match points on 22-21 and 23-22, but not 24-23, as Day hit into the net to end it.
Maria Clara/Carol vs. Talita/Lima
This was a rematch of the gold medal final from the Hague Grand Slam earlier in the season. And from many many other occasions as well, I'm sure. These two teams had to know each other extremely well.
Thought it interesting that the Salgados sent serves Talita's way in the early going, something I don't think happened much (if indeed at all) in the week leading up this championship Friday (which is a little bizarre to say).She didn't have any troubles with them, and her side quickly built up a 6-3 lead. Following a stretch of sideouts, the dominant Talita came up with a kill on her serve to extend her side to a 10-6 lead. 10-7 was a nice rally, strong efforts from all four players. It ended with Lima getting the kill on what was very nearly a net joust with Carol. Talita coughed a point up with an unforced attacking error on reception at 11-8, but got the sideout to take us to 12-9 at the technical timeout.
Maria Clara quickly found the first service point after the technical, getting a lovely kill off a dig transition. Then her sister roof'd Talita to tie the scores at 12, and again to give the Salgados their first lead on 14-13. They got three more on the run as my stream cut out for a moment, putting them ahead what appeared to be pretty substantially. But their compatriots took three of the next four to run back to 18-16, and the sisters called time. The team in yellow (Talita/Lima) added one more before the theam in green could sideout on 19-17. Maria Clara missed her hit there to make it a 1-point set, and then Lima got one of those horrible let-serve aces to tie the set at 19's. The sisters still reached set point first, on 20-19, but it was on to extras we went.
Again, it wasn't to be deep into extras. On the 20-all rally, Lima came up with a nice dig against Maria Clara's heater, but Talita's set was flat-out terrible. She essentially set Carol across the net. Talita knew it immediately and ripped her visor off in frustration as she walked away from the net. 21-20 was the end of it as Maria Clara aced Talita for set point.
The erstwhile three-time tour champions came out very strong to start set 2, claiming five of the first seven before the first side change. 5-2 became 6-2 upon a terrific dig from Lima leading to a kill on 2 for Talita, and 6-2 became 7-2 with a kill for Talita. The Salgado sisters called time staring down a five-point deficit. They sided out on 7-3, but it was the team in yellow who got the next point on serve. Lima dived for a brilliant dig on the 10-5 rally, leading to some out-of-position play from the sisters and a net fault against Maria Clara. Then on 11-5, her hit drilled the net, giving Talita and Lima a very likely insurmountable 7-point lead. That margin held to the technical timeout on 14-7.
The sisters touched off a bit of a comeback after the technical timeout, getting three of the first four to come back within five on 15-10. They came a point close at the fourth side change, score of 16-12, following an unforced attacking error by Lima. Carol showed terrific agility (particularly for being on sand) on the 17-13 rally, getting a block touch and then turning her body in midair to go after the ball to set the hit for her sister. But Talita terminated after the return, and an ace for Lima meant the margin was six again, on 19-13. Talita and Lima reached set point on 20-14, and put it away on reception for a 21-15 final.
Lima scored first on serve in the decider, creating her hitting chance with a dandy transition play to get to 5-3. The sisters got a perhaps fortunate call to get their sideout on 5-4 as Lima maneuvered herself between the ball and the up referee, blocking the latter from having a direct view of it. Replays showed that the in/out call was awfully close, and who knows if the up ref may have overruled the flagger had he seen it (it was awfully close and verging on out rather than in). Then on 6-4, Lima added a line shot kill. A service error from Lima on the next rally make it 7-4. At 7-5, the sisters won a terrific rally that featured swings of all kinds from both sides. A point that anyone could enjoy! 8-7 was another great rally, with fine defence from both teams. Carol got the kill on a tight cut shot to bring the set level at 8-all. Another pretty long rally went to Talita/Lima to put them up 9-8. The Salgados called time at 9-8, probably because they were simply blown up and needed the breather.
It went sideout after sideout from there, with the team in yellow holding the slight advantage of serving with the lead. 12-11 was another outstanding rally, dig after dig from both sides, but especially from Lima. It was Carol who finished the rally, finding the sand with an angle-roll shot. Talita sided out with the pokie on 13-12 and the fifth side change, a shot the sisters were probably only too happy to let go. Talita's kill off Carol and out got her side to match point, gold medal point on 14-13, and Lima played a brilliant shot to get the dig and play it over on 1 to get the kill and earn gold.
Wow. What a crackin' match.
And that was the last I saw on the day. The men's semifinals followed, and I should have written those up, but my head was really hurting (still kind of is as I write this hours of sleep later). It was all I could do to get as much done for today as I did (watching a computer screen for 11 hours isn't the best thing to do with a raging headache). Sorry if I let anyone down. I'll bear through it tomorrow even if the headache is still there, it's just two matches.
Full day four results
Men's knockout round 2
#1 Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (USA) d. #13 Markus Böckermann/Mischa Urbatzka (GER) (21-12, 21-15), described above
#18 Iver Andreas Horrem/Geir Eithun (NOR) d. #8 Alexander Huber/Robin Seidl (AUT) (21-18, 13-21, 20-18)
#5 Alison Cerutti/Emanuel Rego (BRA) d. #11 Ryan Doherty/Todd Rogers (USA) (21-9, 21-15) An exit on ninth doesn't really say it, but I thought this was the best tournemant Doherty/Rogers had played this season.
#4 Phil Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal (USA) d. #12 Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk (CAN) (21-13, 21-15) Saxton/Schalk have reached the level where an exit on ninth is no longer a terrific performance for them. And that's a good thing. I'm hopeful that they'll reach the medal podium sometime this year, though they'll probably need a slightly fortunate knockout draw to get there.
#3 Janis Smedins/Aleksandrs Samoilovs (LAT) d. #7 Vitor Gonçalves Felipe/Evandro Gonçalves Oliveira Júnior (BRA) (22-20, 21-15)
#6 Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (ITA) d. #9 Edson Filipe H. Barros 2 Álvaro Morais Filho (BRA) (21-14, 12-21, 16-14)
#32 Andrea Tomatis/Alex Ranghieri (ITA) d. #10 Isaac Kapa/Christopher McHugh (AUS) (16-21, 23-21, 18-16)
#14 Pablo Herrera Allepuz/Adrián Gavira Collado (ESP) d. #2 Pedro Solberg Salgado/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (BRA) (21-16, 21-17)
Quarterfinals
Gibb/Patterson d. Horrem/Eithun (21-13, 21-17)
Rosenthal/Dalhausser d. Alison/Emanuel (22-20, 14-21, 15-9), described above
Nicolai/Lupo d. Smedins/Samoilovs (21-17, 19-21, 16-14)
Herrera/Gavira d. Tomatis/Ranghieri (21-12, 17-21, 15-10) Heck of a run for the bottom-seeded Italians
Semifinals
Rosenthal/Dalhausser d. Gibb/Patterson (21-16, 21-19) And that's what the Beast and the son of Jor-El hadn't been doing (very much) earlier this year — stepping up against elite competition. I do wish I'd felt up to watching and writing this match up (I was aware it was going to happen), but it was a non-starter
Herrera/Gavira d. Nicolai/Lupo (24-26, 21-19, 15-13) The relatively rare hour-plus match. Herrera and Gavira should be getting single-digit seeds starting soon, and to think they were stuck in the qualifiers not long ago
Women's semifinals
#4 Maria Clara Salgado/Carolina Salgado (BRA) d. #7 Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (GER) (21-15, 21-12)
#2 Talita Da Rocha Antunes/Taiana Lima (BRA) d. #15 Emily Day/Summer Ross (USA) (22-24, 22-20, 16-14)
Bronze final
Holtwick/Semmler d. Day/Ross (21-18, 25-23)
Gold final
Talita/Lima d. Maria Clara/Carol (20-22, 21-15, 15-13)
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