Today's day at the beach was one of the strangest schedules I can recall of any individual day this season. The men played the second round of the knockout stage, the quarterfinals, and the semifinals, while on the women's side only the semifinals were played. Sixteen matches were on the docket all told, fourteen on the men's side and just the two on the women's side. It made for a relatively quick day, but not, unfortunately, quick enough for me to squeeze in World League coverage.
The day started with the new world champs on the men's side.
Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst (AUT) vs. Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (NED)
I joined this match a little late, as the world champs had jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the early going, prompting the Austrians to call time. After a quick exchange of sideouts, the big man Doppler pulled one back with a service ace making it 8-5. A sideout brought us to 9-5 at the second side change. Between there and the technical timeout, the two sides traded service winners, the Dutch team holding the lead 12-9 on reception as the teams again headed to their benches.
Horst brought his side one point closer with a service ace after the technical. From there, though, the sideouts kept rolling, and the world champs were not in any serious trouble as the set neared its conclusion. Brouwer took back the service point with a nice defence/offence transition for the kill on the last rally prior to side change number four, for a score of 16-12. His side called time when the Austrians scored a sideout and another service winner to close to within two at 16-14. The Austrians had a chance on the 17-15 rally to make it back within a point, but Brouwer came up with several good digs to deny them, and eventually put the point away himself. Another ace from Doppler did get the Austrians to within one at 18-17, but they were not to come even. Meeuwsen got the sideout and then sealed the first set with back-to-back blocks for a set 1 final of 21-17.
Set 2 started off with sideout after sideout, as Meeuwsen claimed the first service point with a block to make it 5-3. His partner followed up with a service ace to make it 6-3, eliciting the "Yeah!" and "Heyyy!" cheers you usually hear from the two of them. The sideout pattern started up again there, as it was an even split to the technical timeout with Brouwer and Meeuwsen leading 12-9.
The Dutch team took a four-point lead for the first time in the second set at 14-10. Doppler got that point back on the 15-12 rally with a huge middle hit even on a webstream of so-so picture quality, I could still his eyes light up as he jumped for the hit. From 15-13, the Dutch team extended to four again on the strength of a service ace from Meeuwsen, but just as quickly the margin fell back to two with Doppler's big block presaging the world champs' timeout. The Dutch big man took a powerful swing on 17-15 after the timeout, finding the sand (and kicking it up). Doppler made a bad service error on the last play before the fifth side change, giving the Dutch team a three-point lead with only two points left to go to win the match. Brouwer sided out on 20-17 to bring us to match point, and the Dutch boys sealed it on serve for a second set final the same as the first, 21-17.
Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson (USA) vs. Alison Cerutti/Emanuel Rego (BRA)
This is a rematch from the Corrientes Grand Slam, a match won by the Americans in three sets (and incidentally, a match at this same spot in the knockout stage). I hailed it at the time as the biggest individual match win for the Americans in their burgeoning partnership (they won the gold medal at the previous event in Shanghai, but didn't really take any major scalps while there). Both teams have floundered just a bit since that event. It's a high standard to which to hold Alison e Emanuel, as they played on Sunday at the Rome Grand Slam and the world championships, but have nary a medal to show for those efforts. The honeymoon stage is pretty much gone for the Americans, and they now need to prove that they can reach the heights they did earlier in the year after the other top teams on circuit have seen them a few times.
Patterson started the match out on serve, targetting Alison with his serves. I wonder why. It's mostly thought that Alison's biggest weakness is his setting, and you're certainly inviting a hit with some pace on it by setting him. But on the first two rallies of the match, his passing proved a little iffy too, as Emanuel was forced into 'trap' sets too close to the net that led to easy blocks for Jake Gibb. The Brazilians came level at 2-2, and it was 4-3 at the first side change. Gibb played a couple of really nice shots on the 4-4 rally, sending it over on 2 with a quickness that would have caught a defender not named Emanuel off guard, and then getting the kill with what looked like a hand-set, but it was actually an offensive shot played over the net. It's tough to do that legally in beach volleyball. It's gotta be entirely underhand, and it's hard to get horizontal movement on a ball like that. Emanuel did a terrific job to reach the ball on the 7-6 rally, and Alison likewise to reflexively send it over on 3, but the hit opportunity was just too easy for Gibb to flub, and the Americans took an 8-6 lead.
On serve at 10-7, the Americans took a great point, with Patterson getting a sand sandwich a couple of times as he laid out for the ball. Gibb terminated the point with one of the prettiest roll shots you ever will see, just dancing to the right-back corner of the Brazilian court. He was obviously pretty pumped to get the point, giving it the old fist-bump as the ball fell. The crowd, too, were pretty appreciative of the effort, giving the Americans a nice cheer even though earlier in the set when the PA guy did his classic "Cheer after I say the team you're rooting for" revealed that they were perhaps 70/30 on the side of the Brazilians. Alison and Emanue called time after this terrific point, on 11-7, and took one back in advance of the technical timeout, the score being 12-9.
The Americans got a little bit of luck to take back a service point on the first rally after the technical timeout, as Patterson dove after Emanuel's right-side roll, but fell short — only to have the ball land long. On the 16-11 rally, luck went to Alison's side, as he had to desperately lunge for a ball and send it over — it was the third hit — and he did so successfully, the ball somehow finding the sand. Just before Patterson's serve on 17-12, the PA guy did his "Cheer for your team" thing again, and it sounded a little closer to 50/50 this time. Could be a few fans were won over. The Brazilians briefly cut the margin a little closer, but it was still a five-point set when Gibb and Patterson reached set point for the first time at 20-15. And it was five at the final, too, as they put it away on reception to win 21-16.
Patterson started off set 2 with a terrific service run, getting five on the bump before Alison finally got the Brazil team their first sideout. Things went downhill from there for the Brazilians and their ever-quieting (or dwindling) supporters, as splendid defence from Patterson led to two service points after the side change, and a pretty gaping 8-1 lead. Seven turned into eight which turned into ten by 14-4, and on 15-5 the Americans took a point which pretty well demonstrated that they were in control. Gibb sided out with a silly little 'slap' shot that didn't even look like a serious attempt on the ball, but it fell in all the same.
The Americans led by a solid 15-6 at the technical. Far from content to sideout to the win, Gibb added probably his best block of the match for a service point to increase the lead to 11 at 18-7. They reached match point on 20-9. Alison and Emanuel saved themselves the indignity of finishing on a single-digit score, but only just, with 21-10 the final.
Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst (GER) vs. Liliane Maestrini/Barbara Seixas De Freitas (BRA)
This match was produced for TV broadcast, meaning multiple cameras, a commentator, and replays. Huzzah! It's not so much that I need those things — I think I can fairly say I get by okay without them — it's that having them makes following along so much easier. It eliminates a lot of legwork.
The match began with an even exchange. It looked like the Brazilians might have come up with the first service point on the rally at 3-all, with Ludwig's hit going wide, but it was ruled in. Replays showed it was pretty close, but appeared just out. You win some, you lose some. Then the Germans did claim the first service point with Seixas hitting into the net to bring us to the first side change. Net pressure from Walkenhorst disrupted the Brazilians on the 4-3 rally. Seixas nearly tracked the ball down, but couldn't bring it back to the playing area. On 5-3, Walkenhorst scored a much simpler point, getting the roof against Lili at the net. The Germans made it t a 4-point advantage upon the second side change at 9-5, and they looked pretty sharp in the early going. The Brazilians played a terrific point on 11-8 to come one closer, scrambling for two really difficult digs and proving that sometimes, just keeping the ball alive is enough. With a service ace, they made it back within one at 11-10.
The run continued for the Brazilians coming out of the technical timeout, as they took the lead at 12-11, prompting the Germans' timeout. The Germans finally sided back out on 13-12, but that was still a huge turn of events favouring the Brazilians. Walkenhorst timed the block just right on the next rally, turning the set into a race to 8 as it was level at 13-all. Lili and Seixas got that little race off to the right start, getting three running to go up 16-13 as the set neared its conclusion. Ludwig got a fortunate shot to side on 16-14, but they did not come any closer than that. The Brazilians reached set point at 20-17 and finished it on reception at 21-18. The last rally of the match seemingly contained an error on the German side, as Walkenhorst dove for a ball that was bound to land wide and failed to keep it alive.
Lili scored an ace to open up set 2, on a serve that the Germans let go despite it landing well in. The Germans turned the corner immediately, though, getting the sideout and then three on serve to take the lead. This held to 5-2 at the side change. 6-3 was a long rally that both teams had a shot to win, ending with an open-handed roll shot (off the wrist, from the looks of it) by Walkenhorst for the kill. On Seixas' serve at 11-8, Walkenhorst played a curious soft shot (not even a roll) that was easily dug. The return from Seixas went off the block and out, and Walkenhorst was visibly upset with herself for how she played the point. With Ludwig's long hit, the second set had followed a very similar pattern to the first — early German lead to be whittled to a single point at the technical.
And the deja-vu continued, as the Brazilian run extended to 12-11 before the Germans sided out. Then Ludwig hit wide to make it 14-12, and the Germans called time. Lili scored an emphatic block after the timeout to make it 15-12, and Seixas followed with a terrific transition point (and a sneaky cut shot) to make it a 4-point set at the fourth side change. Walkenhorst got one service point back to make it 16-14, but the elastic snapped. A huge block for Lili against Ludwig brought us to match point at 20-15, and the Brazilians needed just one to seal the deal. Ludwig's attempt at a line shot failed to clear the net, and the Brazilians celebrated making their first gold final.
Talita Da Rocha Antunes/Taiana Lima (BRA) vs. Xue Chen/Zhang Xi (CHN)
There were a couple of men's matches in between the two women's matches. I consciously took a break from coverage during one and then had technical difficulties during the other (I sure know how to pick 'em). This was an interesting matchup, pitting the new world champs against the team who have looked the best this season, the triple 2013 gold medallists from Brazil.
It was the Chinese taking the early lead, getting a couple of service points on Xue's serve to hold the advantage at the first side change. Xue added another on serve at 5-3 to take the three-point lead, as the Brazilians were kind of caught staring at each other as her roll shot fell on to blissfully unguarded court. With Zhang, who was all but covered in kinesio-tape for this match (long stripe down her right leg, several on the small of her back, and also her left shoulder), serving, Xue was able to set herself at the net to come up with two big blocks against Talita to run the score to 9-4. The Brazilians called time there, and got the sideout on the first rally afterward, though they had an opportunity to extend their lead to six. I thought they were in a touch of trouble on the first rally after the second side change, as Xue's set was awfully close to the net, but Zhang still managed to get the sideout. 10-5 was a very long rally, ending with a solid dig-to-hit transition from Zhang, knocking Lima's hat off her head. 11-5 was another long rally, and again went to the Chinese as Talita hit wide. That seven-point margin held to the technical timeout.
The Brazilians took back a service point early in the second 'half' of the set and looked like they might have had another on 15-10. Lima thought she found the line, but the flagger said no, and so did the up ref. Then on 16-10 Xue scored one of those horrible little trickle-aces, making it seven again. Lima got a receipt on serve at 17-11, and then a knuckleball of a serve that Xue just couldn't get behind to pass (and if she'd left it, it would have landed in). The world champs called time with their lead narrowed to 17-13, to try and slow the roll Lima was on at the service line. But it was all too little too late. The Chinese team reached set point on 20-15 and put it away on reception.
The world champs took three on serve to again start set 2 at the advantage. Talita got them their sideout on 3-1 with a stylish cut shot that caught the defenders unawares, but they fell a further service point down at the first side change, on 5-2. On 6-3, Talita played a shot that I don't think you should play when down a set and 3 points in the 2nd, as she tried to get deceptive with a softie. It didn't clear the net. A really good instance of transition defence from Zhang led to another point on the run for the Chinese, as they went ahead 8-3 on Brazil's timeout. They pulled back one by the second side change, coming at 9-5. Xue and Zhang started to look like they were only going at about 80% speed for a rally or three there, as if they were already putting it into "sideout to victory" mode, but a nice winner on 11-7 that they easily could have lost put those thoughts away, as did a service point for Zhang to make it 12-7. It was 13-8 at the technical timeout.
The errors piled up for the vaunted Brazilians in the next section of the match, both forced and unforced. Before you knew it, the Chinese girls had them doubled up, on 16-8. Talita and Lima made a little run there, prompting their opponents to call their timeout when their lead was narrowed to 16-11. A block from Talita on the first point following the timeout made it a four-point set, but the outcome was never really in doubt. The world champs reached match point on 20-15 and put it away on their second reception attempt at 21-17.
Gibb/Patterson (USA) vs. Pedro Solberg Salgado/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (BRA)
This was the second men's semifinal, but I had interminable technical difficulties trying to watch the first. In that match, the Americans avenged their loss in the Corrientes Grand Slam final to the Latvians Smedins and Samoilovs, but they certainly had their hands full here. The Brazilians started the match with three on serve, as Bruno served tough and Pedro tough took ful advantage of being able to be set at the net before the rally got underway. Gibb got the first service point for the Americans right after the side change, with three straight block touches on the 5-2 rally, the last finally terminating the rally. After trading some sideouts, Bruno played a marvelous point on the Brazil team's serve at 8-5, getting two really difficult digs (one on a heater, the other he had to dive for) and artfully turning defence into offence for the kill. He came up with another fine dig after the side change and put that hitting opportunity away, too, to lead 10-5 and prompt the Americans to call time.They came a point closer with a service winner for Patterson on 11-7, but still trailed 12-9 at the technical.
It went sideout after sideout following the technical until a block for Gibb on 15-12 brought the Americans to within two. It was a pretty dominant showing against an otherwise dominant net player Pedro, as the ball went straight down, in a hurry. The Brazilian big man got the point back against Patterson on 16-14, stifling the man with the mohawk. They made it back to a four-point lead on the next rally, but had trouble reaching set point. They took timeout on 19-17, and did finally reach set point on a long rally ending with Bruno cleverly sending it over on 2 for the terminating hit rather than setting Pedro. The Americans staved off the first two set points but just couldn't come even, as Pedro got the set winner with a left-side line roll shot on 21-19.
Set 2 was even more evenly-paced than the first. Both Pedro and Gibb took service points with stifling blocks at the net in the early going, but the first two-point lead wasn't until 11-9 in the Americans' favour. That on the heels of another Gibb block, one that was 'forced' if you will by a poor set from Pedro (too close to the net). The Brazilians got their sideout and closed to 11-10 at the technical timeout.
The Brazilians came level on 11-all, and the straight-up exchange continued. They either served with the scores tied, or the Americans did with the scores level. Finally, Pedro and Bruno achieved a little separation, putting the Americans on the brink with a 2-point "run" (hey, for this set, it qualified as one) bringing the score to 18-16. Gibb and Patterson called time, and successfully sided out there, as Pedro's vertical hit was almost too vertical, clipping the net on its way over. That made it academic for Patterson to dig it (can you dig it?) and get the kill for the sideout. On 19-17, Gibb hit into the net trying to send it over on 2, and the Brazilians had match point. Patterson got the sideout, but Pedro put away the reception point, sending the Brazil team to the gold medal final.
Full Day Five results
Men's Knockout – Round 2
Pablo Herrera Allepuz/Adrián Gavira Collado (ESP) d. Sebastian Dollinger/Stefan Windscheif (GER) (21-18, 17-21, 15-12)
Ricardo Alex Costa Santos/Álvaro Morais Filho (BRA) d. Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (POL) (21-17, 21-13)
Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED) d. Doppler/Horst (AUT) (21-17, 21-17), described above
Phi Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal (USA) d. Reinder Nummerdor/Richard Schuil (NED) (21-17, 21-17)
Janis Smedins/Aleksandrs Samoilovs (LAT) d. Alexander Huber/Robin Seidl (AUT) (22-20, 21-12)
Gibb/Patterson (USA) d. Alison/Emanuel (BRA) (21-16, 21-10), described above
Jonathan Erdmann/Kay Matysik (GER) d. Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk (CAN) (19-21, 21-17, 15-12) Can't wait to see what these boys have in store in Long Beach
Pedro/Bruno (BRA) d. Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (ITA) (22-20, 21-15)
Quarterfinals
Ricardo/Alvaro (BRA) d. Herrera/Gavira (ESP) (21-15, 21-15)
Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED) d. Dalhausser/Rosenthal (USA) (21-17, 21-15) I was taking a little break while this match was going on. Kinda kept one eye on it, thouugh. The Dutch boys never really looked like they were in much trouble.
Gibb/Patterson (USA) d. Smedins/Samoilovs (LAT) (21-15, 21-16) Revenge for Corrientes, as said
Pedro/Bruno (BRA) d. Erdmann/Matysik (GER) (23-21, 21-19)
Semifinals
Ricardo/Alvaro (BRA) d. Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED) (21-19, 21-17) A rematch of last week's world championship final. I sure wanted to see this match, but the streams didn't co-operate. A bit of sweet revenge for Ricardo (pardon my typecasting, but I don't think Alvaro so much cares about such things)
Pedro/Bruno (BRA) d. Gibb/Patterson (USA) (21-19, 21-18),described above
Women's semifinals
Lili/Seixas (BRA) d. Ludwig/Walkenhorst (GER) (21-18, 21-15)
Xue/Zhang (CHN) d. Talita/Lima (BRA) (21-16, 21-17), both described above
Tomorrow's finals
Bronze finals
Ludwig/Walkenhorst (GER) vs. Talita/Lima (BRA)
Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED) vs. Gibb/Patterson (USA)
Gold finals
Lili/Seixas (BRA) vs. Xue/Zhang (CHN)
Ricardo/Alvaro (BRA) vs. Pedro/Bruno (BRA)
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