Well, sort of.
Ordinarily, a day such as today would be one I'd describe as "day two," with qualification day being day one. But qualification play yesterday was remarkably short. It was only 3 hours long (just 7 total matches), and I never got a stable stream open, so I didn't write about it. I don't think I missed much.
So here we are, then, for the Long Beach Grand Slam. It's nice to have a Grand Slam in my own time zone, though by now I'm kinda used to being up in the middle of the night to cover them. A bit of news first — Kerri Walsh Jennings has pulled out of the Grand Slam citing an abdominal strain. She is still playing in the partially-concurrent "World Series Cup" event (which is just something Leonard Armato made up), so the fans in Long Beach still get their thrill. She explained that having an extra day's rest before the WSC, which is shorter anyway, is why she's still playing that one but not the other. Whitney Pavlik now teams with Annett "Nettie" Davis, who if you'll check out that link you'll notice has not played an FIVB-level event in almost a decade. She was probably just the easiest person to find on such short notice. I don't imagine she'll end up back on the circuit after all this time.
I was set for a rousing day of centre court viewing. My first match of the day pitted two homestanding Americans against a new tandem.
Summer Ross/Emily Day (USA) vs. Viktoria Orsi Toth/Marta Menegatti (ITA)
Here's a match with some history behind it. Menegatti and Orsi Toth have teamed together once before, the 2010 youth world championships. They won the silver medal. Their championship opponents? Tara Roenicke and….why, a young lady named Summer Ross.
Then there's the matter of Greta Cicolari. There have been reports that Greta and Marta are done as a team, but they're still listed together for the upcoming European championship. I suppose it's most likely that they are indeed finished, or will be soon, but it makes me wonder why now and not 9 months ago if they weren't gunning for Rio. Was worlds such a big goal? They are (were?) an enjoyable team to watch, but I never had them pegged as worlds medal contenders. It's also another case of partnership change being handed down by coaches, which doesn't really sit well with me. There's really no sport like beach volleyball in the way such a small team become interdependent. The only other sport I can think of with 2-person teams is bobsleigh (and, well, doubles tennis and the like, but those are always a secondary attraction to singles tournaments). I don't know enough about bobsleigh to draw any comparisons to interdependency between teammates. Might be interesting to know, or if there are any other sports directly comparable to beach volleyball in this regard. I feel like it really ought to be the players deciding who plays with whom, but I seem to be in the minority on that opinion.
In any event, this situation will become more clear in the coming weeks.
The Americans had a poor service reception to begin the match, both going for the ball, resulting in neither fielding it cleanly. But with Orsi Toth not even putting up a block at thenet, Day still managed to get the kill and sideout. Orsi Toth made up for the lack of blocking on the match's third rally, stuffing Day up the middle. Menegatti followed with a nice dig and kill, and we had our first 2-point margin. 3-1 was then a very long rally, ending with a pokie for day finding the left-back corner on the other side. The Italians led 4-3 on reception at the first side change. The Americans took their first lead with two more for Day on long rallies after the side change, as this match steadfastly refused to enter a sideout pattern. Day added a service ace against Orsi Toth to put the Americans up by 2 for the first time, on 7-5. She then found the line for another ace, as Orsi Toth made the risky choice to let the serve go, and was not rewarded for her choice. Day kept her roll going with a big block to make it 9-5 at the second side change. Orsi Toth got the Italians the sideout there, on 9-6, but it was little more than a speed bump. Day showed some great fundamentally sound net play, getting a good block touch against Orsi Toth and then knowing when to back off the net as Menegatti's roll shot was coming. It led to a kill on the American side to extend them to a 5-point lead, and it was timeout Italy.
It was 13-8 at the technical timeout, where Menegatti got one back with a service ace. At 15-10, the crowd, partisan to the homestanding Americans of course, celebrated a bit too soon. Day made a nice block touch, but Menegatti was there for the cover, and her subsequent return found the sand. 16-11 was a very nice rally, both teams showing some great speed as they zipped across the sand to keep wayward passes alive. Menegatti got the sideout for the Italians, but siding out was the best they could do. Indeed, the closest they got was four, and had to serve to stave off set point on 20-16. Orsi Toth went for it, because why not, and missed the line just wide, ending the first set in favour of the Americans.
The second rally of set 2 was a nice one. The ball pinballed a little between the blockers for each side (Day and Orsi Toth), eventually reaching the defenders as well. Day took the kill and sideout by bumping the ball over the net like she was going for a set. The match started out very much an even exchange, though not quite sideout after sideout, as the Italians led 4-3 on serve after they had started the set on serve. Orsi Toth got an emphatic block on the first rally after the side change to put Italy ahead 5-3, and then another had the Americans doubled up on 6-3. On 6-3, it looked like they'd edged ahead by four as Ross over-dug and the ball landed very close by the side line. The line judge called it out, but the up ref overruled, making the whole play sort of silly (the Italians could have played the ball, but didn't). Ross bailed her partner out on a dreadful set (it was wide of the anteanna and looked awfully low, too) to find the sand for a service point to crawl within 7-6, as the Americans began asserting themselves. Menegatti sided the Italians out on 8-6 to bring us to the second side change, but some further nice transition play from the Americans got them the equaliser on 9-all. An out-of-system block by Menegatti sealed off a three-point swing for the Italians as they took the 12-9 lead at the technical timeout.
The first service point after the technical timeout was on a flub of a swing from Orsi Toth, as she failed to clear the net at 14-12 to draw the Americans within a point. The Italian team called time there. Day handed them their sideout as the teams came back from their benches, her serve landing about six inches long. A little later, Orsi Toth hit wide to bring the set level at 16-all. Day's emphatic smash on the 17-all rally gave the Americans their first lead of the set, but the Italians didn't really look distressed or like they were in trouble. Both sides definitely tightened up their game the more this one went on. It went sideout after sideout to the Americans' first match point at 20-19, though they felt they should have reached it a point sooner. They verbally protested for "no touch!" on the 19-18 rally, but a touch was indeed called. No matter — Day put an exclamation point on the Americans' win with a block against Menegatti for a 22-20 second set final.
Jennifer Fopma/Brooke Sweat (USA) vs. Jamie Lynn Broder/Kristina Valjas (CAN)
I love USA/Canada matches, no matter the sport really. It's almost exactly like a sibling rivalry. You love your sister and you'll always have her back, but when the chips are on the table, you want to beat the snot out of her just the same!
Fopma got the ball rolling for the Americans after an early sideout string, getting two straight blocks to go up 4-2. A nice dig/hit transition from the diminutive Sweat put the Americans up by three before Broder got the Canadians the sideout on 5-3. Broder made a pretty rough setting mistake on 6-3. Basically, she set Fopma, who is not her teammate. A long hit from the Canadian side put the Americans up 8-3, and it was timeout Canada. Broder snuck her hit past Fopma for the sideout on 8-4, and then Fopma hit wide to make it a three-point set at 8-5. Sweat had an oddly easy timing of it finding the sand on the last rally before side change number two, just splitting the Canadian defence in half straight down the middle. It looked like either of them could have gotten to it, but evidently not. Sweat played a terrific rally on 10-6, getting the dig and then putting just the perfect pace (or lack thereof, as it was) on her hit to have it divebomb in front of the diving Valjas, who had left the net in anticipation of such a shot but took too many steps back. She got one back on serve at 12-7, finding the left corner for an ace, but a long hit made it 13-8 at the technical timeout.
Fopma proved fierce against Broder at the net. She got the block for the sideout on 15-10, as Broder hit into it and out, but it touched Broder again on the way out. I think it may have hit her in the face (not such a great angle to try to tell that). The service error on the Canadian side brought the score to 16-12 at the fourth side change. Another error by the Canadians, Broder this time, made it a 5-point set again, and a kill for Fopma on 2 made it 18-12. A service ace for the tallest woman on the court and a set that was at least competitive most of the way was all of a sudden a rout. The Americans reached set point on 20-13 and eventually put it away 21-16.
Set 2 started off with sideout after sideout, until Fopma found the sand for a service ace on the first rally after the first side change. Then she got lucky on her next serve with a let for an ace, making it 6-3. Valjas got one of the aces back to close within 6-5, and Broder got the equaliser with a stylish cut shot to bring us to 6-all. Fopma caught the Canadians off guard with her roll shot on 2 on the 7-6 rally, putting the Americans up by 2 at the second side change. The Americans inched ahead a further point, leading 12-9 on serve at the technical timeout.
The Americans took the first steps to ice the match straight after the technical. They took a fairly quick service point on the rally ending 13-9, then Sweat just came up with dig after dig after dig on the following rally. She eventually put that one away to make it 15-9. Fopma's serve on 15-9 had kind of an awkward result. It looked like the flaggger stopped the midst of his "out" signal to signal "in." The crowd and the PA guy celebrated, but the Canadians protested, asking the up ref to come take a look at it. And I swear to god I saw him make the out signal, and that Broder or Valjas said "thank you" in response. A timeout followed, and Fopma remained on serve, with the point awarded to her side for the ace. I know I saw the up ref put his forearms in front of his torso. So I'm still not sure what exactly did happen.
Fopma scored another ace after the timeout, a ball Broder consciously chose to let go, which is always a risky call. The American lead reached eight at 17-9, and again at 18-10. Broder took three on serve there, but the deficit was too large to make up in too short a time. Another dominant run for Fopma late sealed set 2 on 21-14, a powerful block against Broder the match-winner.
Lauren Fendrick/Brittany Hochevar (USA) vs. Zara Dampney/Lucy Boulton (ENG)
Nice to see the English girls back in action after they missed a few events with Dampney out injured (one wonders if Denise Johns couldn't have stepped in on a termporary role, but that's neither here nor there). 'Britt' and 'Fendi,' as they're affectionately known to their fans, kept the good times rolling for USA at first, claiming four of the first five. Dampney scored an ace on the last serve before the first side change, one the Americans simply chose to let go. Hochevar protested to the up ref that he should climb down and look at the mark in the sand (the up ref has the right to do this, but is never obligated to). The Americans were obviously disappointed and continued chattering about it for a moment (Hochevar is a bit of an extrovert, let's just say that), but it didn't appear they let it linger with them. A let-serve ace for Boulton made it 7-all after two side changes. Hochevar almost put too much on her pokie on the first rally after the side change, but the ball did just land in at the right corner. Fendrick followed that sideout with a stifling block to put the Americans back ahead by 2. That margin essentially held to the technical timeout, with the Americans up 11-10 on reception.
The Americans achieved some distance after reaching 13-11. They took two on serve there, the English team handing them one on a ball handling fault. It was 16-12 at the fourth side change, and despite the host nation in a winning position for the fourth match in a row, nobody at courtside was making much noise. Hochevar got a few cheers for her ace to make it 17-12, but still, pretty quiet. A couple of fortunate bounces for Boulton on serve got the English team as close again as 19-16, but the Americans prevented them from coming any closer. They converted set point on their reception attempt, for a 21-17 final, as Hochevar made a nifty little shot where it looked until the last moment like she was going to make a pushing overhand set, but instead sent the ball over on 2. It fell in for set point.
Fendrick gave her side the first service point in set 2 right away after the Americans sided out on 1-0, with a block against Boulton. 3-2 was a terrific rally, with diving digs from Hochevar and Dampney. It ended anti-climactically, with a wide hit on a roll shot from Dampney. Hochevar followed that great rally up with a service ace, and the Americans were in business at the first side change, leading 5-2. Hochevar claimed the next service winner to make it 9-4, getting the kill off the block and out, presaging the timeout on the English side. The English girls iced only themsleves, as Hochevar again found the sand, this time for an ace. That gave the Americans a very comfortable 10-4 lead at the second side change. At 11-5, Hochevar played another great point, digging Boulton's first heater and then Matrix'ing her way out of the second as it sailed wide. That 7-point margin held to the second set technical timeout, as they had their opponents doubled up on 14-7.
Dampney and Boulton made a run at it. They got the sideout and then two on serve to begin the 'second half' of the set. Hochevar tried the cut shot on on 14-10, but it cut too much and failed to clear the net (really one of the first errors of any kind I could say she made in this match). Fendrick sided the Americans out on 15-11with a misdirection shot on 2, and then Hochevar got it right on 16-12 to bring us to the fourth side change. Hochevar's roll shot at 16-13 landed wide, and all of a sudden the English girls were within 2 despite being woman-handled for a lot of the set. Boulton came up with a tremendous block to make it 17-16, winning a point for the English team that it looked like they had lost about 5 different times. But the chain snapped. Boulton's serve into the net on 19-17 meant it was match point for the USA. Dampney staved off the reception point, but her own serve went long and Fendrick and Hochevar made it 4-for-4 for the American women on centre court in the AM session.
Janis Smedins/Aleksandrs Samoilovs (LAT) vs. Stafford Slick/Casey Jennings (USA)
This was from the second slate of men's matches. The Italians did better against the top seeds Gibb and Patterson than I anticipated (explaining why I didn't write it up) in the first, but still lost in two sets.
It wasn't long at all until the favoured Latvians took the advantage, as they claimed ifve of the first seven points in advance of side change number one. The match effectively went from one of the most fun-loving guys on tour (Patterson) to another (Samoilovs), and the Latvian definitely enjoyed hs perfect block to go out ahead 7-3, as the host nation were pretty quickly in line for their first loss of the day on centre court. I lost my connection for a couple of minutes at that point, and came back with the Latvians ahead 16-11, basically an even exchange in the interim. Samoilovs' serve on 16-11 flew so long it hit the advertising boards beyond the end line. Don't know whether they were being flippant or what, but one of the Americans said "Yeah, just long" as it the ball came down (it was tremendously long). The Latvians weren't happy about something, as they expended a timeout on 17-14 following an attacking error on their side. Whatever they spoke about worked, as the Americans didn't score again. Samoilovs got the lucky little let-ace for the win to take set 1 by 21-14.
It took Smedins all of no time to take a lead in set 2, getting an ace to start the set and following it up with three straight solid serves that disrupted the American offence. Jennings' long hit to make it 4-0 also brought about the Americans' timeout. Jennings made a bad pass on the first serve after the timeout, and called "Help help help!" to his partner, but Slick was a little too late getting there with the help, which was enough for Smedins to end up getting credited with another ace. Samoilovs rejected Jennings back into his own court on the first rally after the side change, and the rout was on as Latvia led 7-1. The match settled into a little sideout pattern there. Slick and Jennings won a terrific rally on 9-4, but it was only just a sideout that it earned them. The big man Slick got the block against the bushy-headed Samoilovs to draw within 9-5 at the second side change, and he added another block for the sideout on 10-6. But they had almost no margin for error against the Latvians, who have won three medals this season, remember (one gold). Being that they were down in the early going, that certainly didn't favour them. The score was 13-8 at the technical timeout.
The Americans got the first service point after the technical timeout, when Smedins hit long to make the score 15-12. The Latvians decided to play it safe, and took their team timeout there, lest the score shift to their disfavour any more than it already had. Sure enough, Smedins got the easy sideout on the first rally back from the timeout. Both teams headed back to their previous positions on 16-12, until *light bulb* that's a multiple of seven. Side change. Smedins got the service winner back for Latvia on 17-13, sneaking his shot past Jennings on the left corner, only for Samoilovs to give it away again with a wildly inaccurate cut shot. But it didn't much matter. Latvia reached match point on 20-15 and finished it in style, with Samoilovs' ace serve falling in for the clincher.
Sean Rosenthal/Phil Dalhausser (USA) vs. Andreas Martin Sutter/Roman Sutter (SUI)
Gonna paint with broad brushtrokes for this one, as I don't know which Sutter is which (I'm not even sure what, if anything, their relation is — they have different hometowns). They played the team of Rogers/Doherty in qualification for the Shanghai Grand Slam earlier this year. They're not the team who eliminated those Americans, but they did play them unexpectedly close and force 3 sets before falling.
You'd expect Dalhausser and Rosenthal to crush an, at least relatively-speaking, anonymous team. In the early going, it looked like that was what was going to happen. They led by six at the second side change, a healthy 10-4, and it looked like they'd cruise to victory.. Not so. The Sutters nearly came level by the technical timeout, trailing a point on serve, and did eventually tie it up on 19-all.
Dalhausser and Rosenthal are a team I think I get hurt a little playing teams so far beneath them in level at the beginning of events like this one. Impossibly high expectations alert, but I think most of us would have guessed, coming into the season, that they'd have more than 2 medals by now. Granted, both are gold. But this was, in every sense, a dream team. Two of the best in the world at the respective classic beach volleyball roles, and there have been times this season where I thought they made a good team, but I'm starting to wonder if they'll have the staying power of a good team. I guess Rogers/Dalhausser was lightning in a bottle, never to be caught again, and we should happy with what these fellas are able to give us.
The Americans did reach set point first, on 20-19, but that wasn't to be the end of it. The Swiss team actually got a set point chance next, on 21-20 after Dalhausser hit into the antenna, but the Americans staved it off. Dalhausser used his secondary serving form, the standing litttle crow-hop serve, to get a let-ace and put the Americans back in the driving seat. On their third set point try, at 23-22, they finished the set. That rally was the best they played in the match, and it's weird to say that, because they were out-of-system. For that rally, Rosenthal wound up at the net blocking, with Dalhausser behind him defending. But it worked. Rosenthal wound up getting the kill for the 24-22 first set final.
Set 2 was more tentative. The first 2 point lead was the Sutters', on 10-8. They led 11-10 at the technical timeout. I was actually a little surprised they didn't send a few serves Dalhausser's way. Ordinarily suggesting that would be madness, but something just wasn't right with the American big man today. He had real trouble getting the ball over the net and in the court, both on serve and spike. I'm not sure what it was, but he just was not his usual self today. He missed a pathetically easy chance on 12-10 and was visibly kicking himself afterward. Still, though, he and Superman Sean regrouped to tie the set at 14-all upon the fourth side change, and a timeout for the Swiss team.
Some loudmouth at courtside heckled the flagger for flinching on his call on the Swiss team's serve at 14-all. And he kept it up for a good few minutes after play went on. That's always a little (or more than a little) unpleasant to be around. The Americans got their first lead in a while at 16-15, but the errors kept piling up for Dalhausser. It really surprised me that the Swiss team didn't try serving him even once. Finally, at 18-17, he made the sort of play that was one of the only glimpses of 'Classic Phil' we got in this match, deftly sending it over on 2 for the kill after Rosenthal dug the heather from the other side. That made it 19-17, when my stream decided to cut out. I refreshed, and the teams were shaking hands with the Americans having won 21-18. So….I don't know what the last few points were like, but it was probably just sideout after sideout.
Ryan Doherty/Todd Rogers (USA) vs. Maverick Hatch/Christian Redmann (CAN)
The first few points of this match were a tad hard to follow. Whoever ran the on-screen scoreboard left a little to be desired, gettng several points wrong. Luckily the actual courtside scoreboard was in view, so it wasn't too hard to keep things straight. The Americans took the super-early 2-point lead, but failed to build on it. Hatch's service ace on the first serve after the side change brought the set level again, on 4-all. Redmann scored the next service point on the 6-all rally, to allow the canadians to serve with the single-point lead. Doherty, who did a very good job of hitting vertically (that is, straight down) in the early going, got that point back with a block to put the Americans on top 9-8. Unlike last match, when I thought the Swiss team should have tried serving Dalhausser, for the Canadians to serve the man they call 'Avatar' here in this match would have been suicide. Doherty did make a bit of a careless mistake foot-faulting on serve at 10-9 (you don't see that very often in beach — and it's sort of a careless thing to do in indoor, in any event). Hatch added a kill on the next rally to make it 11-10 in the Canadians' favour at the technical timeout.
That point continued yo-yoing between the two sides, with Doherty's ace putting the Americans on top by 13-12. He gave his team the first 2-point lead in a while with a kill on 2 on the next rally, prompting the PA announcer to remark that he was doing "all the work." I think Rogers might be the type to resent such a remark, but I'm sure he kept his head in the game. The Canadians turned a bit of a corner from 16-14. They got the sideout, a service ace from Redmann, and a nice block for Hatch to put them on top by a point. The Americans called time at that point. They kept it sideout after sideout to Canada's set point on 20-19, and through that point as well. The Americans scored on serve at 21-all, a nice running smash from the big man. Redmann and Hatch didn't get another set point, as Doherty and Rogers sided out on 22-all and 23-all, and then won the set with Redmann's hit from the middle landing long.
The beginning of set 2 was streaky. The Canadians went out ahead 5-1 out of the gates, but the Americans had the set equalised at 7-all upon the second side change. The match continued to trend toward the Americans, and after Rogers' kill brought us to 10-8, Redmann and Hatch called time. After the charged timeout, Doherty added a service winner to bring us to the technical timeout, USA on top by 12-9.
Doherty was not to be denied as the match went on. Suffice it to say this was probably the best match I've seen him play, and he all but singlehandedly built up a major advantage the more and more this set wore on. Big blocks, even bigger hits (he actually got served a couple of times toward the end, and was an automatic sideout on those occasions). His big stuff block on match point sealed a pretty solid performance for him, as the Americans won on a 21-13 final.
April Ross/Jennifer Kessy (USA) vs. Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré (SUI)
I had a weird connection bobble when starting this match. It went from pre-match intros, to 7-4 Switzerland in a blink. Forrer added a service ace at 10-7 to put the Swiss team ahead by four, and then another put them up five at 12-7. A block for Verge-Depre make it 13-7, before Forrer finally missed a serve long to bring us to 13-8 at the technical timeout.
The Swiss girls had a fairly quick trigger finger on their timeout, expending it at 14-11 after Forrer missed her shot wide for an unforced error. The teams traded sideouts for a while after that, and it looked like the Americans were going to run out of time to come level. 17-14 was a very long rally, eventually ending with a kill for Ross as a service point, getting them one step closer. The Swiss team reached set point on serve at 20-17. The Americans sided out, and then got a big block from Kessy on 20-18, but they just fell short on the attempt to come even. Forrer and Verge-Depre got the sideout on 21-19 to end set 1.
I had to take a phone call as set 2 was getting underway, so I was kinda half-watching it. The story was pretty simple to tell, and it was markedly similar to set number 1. There were ties at the first four numerical scores, at which point, the Swiss team took three straight points. That lead, again, held up for a while, but the next point on serve went to the Swiss when Forrer snuck an ace to the left corner to make it 16-12. A wide hit from the American side (after an odd, almost interminable delay before the up referee signalled for the serve put the Swiss team ahead 17-12, and the Americans called time. A block from Verge-Depre gave the Swiss team match point at 20-14. Kessy staved off the first, on reception, but she was not equal to the task of saving five on serve, as Verge-Depre's cut shot found the sand for a 21-15 second set final.
Annett "Nettie" Davis/Whitney Pavlik (USA) vs. Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy (AUS)
This was the last match of the day, on centre court. As a 39 year old dragged out of mothballs due to exigent circumstances, I have to say I was ready to make every excuse in the book for Davis looking like an abject disaster in this match. But then I got word that she and Pavlik had pretty handily beaten the Spaniards Liliana/Baquerizo (21-12, 21-17) earlier in the day. Beating a team who have medals from this season is none too shabby, and "Nettie" (I wouldn't have thought anyone younger than 70 should be called "Nettie," but you know, it works for a volleyball player) put on a nice show on centre court, too.
She was looking pretty spry for a 39 year old, showing some speed and flexibility getting the digs and kills that led to early sideouts. She added a service winner (not an ace, but a serve that brought out an overpass for her partner to finish off) to put her side ahead 5-3. This American tandem showed a versatility I don't recall seeing in other teams — whoever wasn't serving blocked. It wasn't the same player the whole way. I don't know why more teams don't do this. Obviously it's not something every team can do, but there are plenty of duos where each member is of similar physical makeup and overall ability. Perhaps it means neither is especially strong at either classic role, but the switching off (or maybe, the ability of always having an entrenched blocker) seemed to work for them. Davis' service ace put them out ahead 9-6, then from 10-7 they took three straight on Pavlik's serve. An absolutely domiannt-looking block from Davis was the last. Pavlik did finally miss her serve to bring us to the technical with the Americans ahead 13-8.
Davis made the always-risky choice to let a serve go on the first serve back from the technical, and paid the price as Clancy found the line. Pavlik briefly go the service point back, until Clancy got another to make it 16-13. Bawden's stifling block against Davis brought the Australian team back to within two at 16-14. They had a shot on that rally to come even a point closer, digging Pavlik, but the resultant hit landed very long. Pavlik employed some sneak tactics to get the kill on 17-15, her "bump hit" very much catching the Aussies off guard. Davis followed that up with a nice angle shot for a kill, and the Americans were in business. They reached set point at 20-16, and though they needed all four shots at it, they sealed set 1 without extras.
The second set started off with an even exchange. It wasn't all sideout after sideout (Bawden, for instance, claimed a sneaky service ace on the left side line to put them ahead a point), but it was only at the second side change that either side led by 2, that being the Aussies. But this was short-lived, as Pavlik's ace after the sideout made the set level again at 8-all. On 9-8, the point was awarded to the Americans despite the Aussies' protestations that Pavlik's hit landed long. Bawden could be heard saying "Seriously, this is out!" as she implored the up ref to climb down and take a look. He opted to remain in his perch. A service ace from Clancy put the Australia team ahead by two again at 11-9, before a block by Davis brought us to the second set technical timeout.
Pavlik brought us back from the technical with a service ace to once more draw the score level. The Aussies then inched ahead again by 2 at 15-13, only for Davis to find the sand and bring the Americans back tied yet again. The elder stateswoman of the match, who, again, wasn't really playing like one, got the block against Bawden to give the Americans their first lead in a while at 17-16. Two on the bump from the Aussies meant Bawden served with the point advantage after the fifth side change. Pavlik's pokie landing wide gave set point to the Aussies, and Bawden's ace set up the race to 15. Not a bad way to end the day.
Bawden and Clancy took the first three of the decider, a big lead in such a short set. The set settled into a sideout pattern then though side changes one and two, coming at 4-1 and 7-3, before Clancy's roll shot kill on 7-3 brought us to 8-3. An overpass from Pavlik led to an easy kill for Clancy at the net, and the Americans called timeout.
The timeout vitalised them. They got the sideout to bring it to 9-4, and then Pavlik's hit found the last few threads of the line for a service point. The Aussies protested, but again the up ref stayed in his perch. An ace from Pavlik, and it was a two-point set at 9-7. The Aussies called time there, only to have another ace bring the Americans back within a point. It was at this point I noticed that the Americans were having Davis handle the blocking irrespective of who was serving. The Aussies noticed too, and on Davis' serve at 10-9 Clancy very smartly sent the ball over on 2 before Davis made it to the net to get in blocking position (this is always something players like Ricardo or Dalhausser have to worry about when serving). Another great serve from Pavlik for an ace brought the Americans level once more at 11-all, and the crowd at courtside roared.
A couple of poor decisions in transition on the American side led to match point for the Aussies. Both Americans went for pokies when there was no block up at the net, and both were easily dug. Either of them went for a heater, and you never know what may have happened. Davis sided out on 14-13, but Bawden put home the winner to end an immensely entertaining final match of the day.
Full Day "one" results
Men's pool play
Pool A
#1 Casey Patterson/Jake Gibb (USA) d. #32 Andrea Tomatis/Alex Ranghieri (ITA) (21-17, 21-15) Wouldn't shock me to know Casey and Spiker were going at 80% speed for this one.
#16 Robert Kufa/Jan Hadrava (CZE) d. #17 Ruslans Sorokins/Toms Smedins (LAT) (21-16, 21-16)
Pool B
#2 Pedro Solberg Salgado/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (BRA) d. #31 Peter Eglseer/Felix Koraimann (ITA) (21-18, 21-12)
#15 Philip Gabathuler/Jonas Weingart (SUI) d. #18 Iver Andreas Horrem/Geir Eithun (NOR) (9-21, 24-22, 22-20) Second time Gabathuler and Weingart have lost a set 21-9 and come back to win. We all remember the first. And stick a fork in these Norwegians, sorry to say. They still have not won a main draw match (not even one match) this season.
Pool C
#3 Janis Smedins/Aleksandrs Samoilovs (LAT) d. #30 Stafford Slick/Casey Jennings (USA) (21-14, 21-15), described above
#14 Pablo Herrera Allepuz/Adrián Gavira Collado (ESP) d. #19 Juan Virgen/Lombardo Ontiveros (MEX) (21-19, 21-16) Really a difficult pool for Slick/Jennings to have landed in. Any win they can get will be an upset.
Pool D
#4 Phil Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal (USA) d. #29 Andreas Martin Sutter/Roman Sutter (SUI) (24-22, 21-18), described above
#13 Markus Böckermann/Mischa Urbatzka (GER) d. #20 Hannes Brinkborg/Stefan Gunnarsson (SWE) (21-12, 21-17)
Pool E
#21 Nicholas Lucena/John Hyden (USA) d. #5 Alison Cerutti/Emanuel Rego (BRA) (23-21, 21-16) Your daily dose of "wait, really?" Alison/Emanuel have seen better days, and it's crazy to think that it's probably not the 40 year old who's the weak link here.
#12 Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk (CAN) d. #28 Sam Pedlow/Grant O'Gorman (CAN) (21-14, 25-23) I hope both of these teams will get to go on centre court when they face the Americans (Saxton/Schalk will, tomorrow). Been wanting to see Sam Pedlow play ever since he followed-back as one of TNS' first twitter followers last winter. If nothing else, it made me remember his name.
Pool F
#6 Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (ITA) d. #27 Gianluca Casadei/Paolo Ficosecco (ITA) (21-9, 25-23) Uh, okay.
#11 Ryan Doherty/Todd Rogers (USA) d. #22 Maverick Hatch/Christian Redmann (CAN) (25-23, 21-13), described above
Pool G
#7 Vitor Gonçalves Felipe/Evandro Gonçalves Oliveira Júnior (BRA) d. #26 Inocencio Lario Carrillo/Javier Monfort Minaya (ESP) (21-14, 21-17)
#10 Isaac Kapa/Christopher McHugh (AUS) d. #23 Andy Cès/Edouard Rowlandson (FRA) (22-20, 19-21, 15-12)
Pool H
#8 Alexander Huber/Robin Seidl (AUT) d. #25 Kvamsdal Morten/Oivind Hordvik (NOR) (21-10, 17-21, 15-7)
#9 Edson Filipe H. Barros/Álvaro Morais Filho (BRA) #24 Roberto Rodríguez – Bertrán/Hector Soto (PUR) (21-13, 19-21, 19-17) Ricardo was another late injury scratch. Or so the story goes. I'm taken to understand the dude isn't a big fan of the US of A, so he may have held the thermometer to the lamp while mom was out of the room, if you get the metaphor.
Women's pool play
Pool A
#1 April Ross/Jennifer Kessy (USA) d. #32 Aleksandra Wolak/Agnieszka Pregowska (POL) (21-10, 21-12) This was the first match of the day, and of course it was on centre court. I caught a little, as the streams were late getting started. The gulf in talent was pretty stark. Play this match ten times and the USA team win all ten. Play it 100 times and the USA team might win all hundred. That said, Kessy didn't seem 100% here. It was reported that hip and Achilles injuries kept her out of worlds and the Gstaad Grand Slam, yet she wore tape or a brace or something around her left knee for this match. Never heard anything about a knee, that could be new. Hate to say it, but what I saw in this match left me unsurprised that Jen and April lost to a slightly-higher calibre of foe later in the day.
#17 Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Vergé-Dépré (SUI) d. #16 Emilia Nystrom/Erika Nystrom (FIN) (21-19, 21-15)
Forrer/Vergé-Dépré d. Ross/Kessy (21-19, 21-15), described above
Nystrom/Nystrom d. Wolak/Pregowska (21-15, 21-11)
Pool B
#2 Taiana Lima/Talita Da Rocha Antunes (BRA) d. #31 Melissa Humana-Paredes/Taylor Pischke (CAN) (21-11, 21-12)
#15 Summer Ross/Emily Day (USA) d. #18 Viktoria Orsi Toth/Marta Menegatti (ITA) (21-16, 22-20), described above
Talita/Lima d. Orsi Toth/Menegatti (21-7, 21-10) Yikes.
Ross/Day d. Humana-Paredes/Pischke (24-22, 18-21, 15-9) This match was on centre court, and it was pretty good, but I just wasn't drawn into it. For whatever reason
Pool C
#3 Liliane Maestrini/Barbara Seixas De Freitas (BRA) d. #30 Janne Kongshavn/Victoria Faye Kjølberg (NOR) (21-9, 21-10)
#19 Barbara Hansel/Katharina Schützenhöfer (AUT) d. #14 Victoria Bieneck/Julia Großner (GER) (21-13, 25-23)
Lili/Seixas d. Hansel/Schützenhöfer (21-12, 21-18)
Bieneck/Großner d. Kongshavn/Kjølberg (21-14, 21-10)
Pool D
#4 Maria Clara Salgado Rufino/Carolina Solberg Salgado (BRA) d. #29 Bibiana Candelas/Martha Revuelta (MEX) (21-19, 16-21, 15-11)
#13 Natalia Dubovcova/Dominika Nestarcova (SVK) d. #20 Jana Köhler/Anni Schumacher (GER) (21-17, 21-17)
Maria Clara/Carol d. Köhler/Schumacher (21-14, 21-15)
Dubovcova/Nestarcova d. Candelas/Revuelta (21-10, 14-21, 15-9) Not bad for an unkown Mexican team to take two pretty legit main draw teams each to a 3rd set.
Pool E
#5 Agatha Bednarczuk/Maria Antonelli (BRA) d. #28 Elisabeth Klopf/Valerie Teufl (AUT) (21-12, 21-12)
#12 Jennifer Fopma/Brooke Sweat (USA) d. #21 Kristina Valjas/Jamie Lynn Broder (CAN) (21-16, 21-14)
Agatha/Maria d. Broder/Valjas (21-16, 21-14)
Fopma/Sweat d. Klopf/Teufl (21-6, 21-19)
Pool F
#27 Annett Davis/Whitney Pavlik (USA) d. #6 Liliana Fernández Steiner/Elsa Baquerizo McMillan (ESP) (21-12, 21-17)
#22 Daniela Gioria/Laura Giombini (ITA) d. #11 Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy (AUS) (21-18, 21-18)
Liliana/Baquerizo d. Gioria/Giombini (22-20, 30-28)
Bawden/Clancy d. Davis/Pavlik (19-21, 21-18, 15-13), described above. All four teams 1-1 going into tomorrow.
Pool G
#7 Katrin Holtwick/Ilka Semmler (GER) d. #26 Maria Francisca Rivas Zapata/Camila Pazdirek Peteri (CHI) (21-6, 21-10)
#10 Kristyna Kolocova/Marketa Slukova (CZE) d. #23 Martina Bonnerová/Barbora Hermannová (CZE) (21-13, 21-15) Better Czech yourself (I am so sorry).
Holtwick/Semmler d. Bonnerova/Hermannova (21-11, 21-13)
Kolocova/Slukova d. Rivas Zapata/Camila (21-8, 21-10) Pret-ty clear division of haves and have-nots in this pool
Pool H
#8 Lauren Fendrick/Brittany Hochevar (USA) d. #25 Zara Dampney/Lucy Boulton (USA) (21-17, 21-18)
#9 Nadine Zumkehr/Joana Heidrich (SUI) d. #24 Sarah Pavan/Heather Bansley (CAN) (21-10, 16-21, 15-11)
Fendrick/Hochevar d. Pavan/Bansley (21-13, 21-19)
Zumkehr/Heidrich d. Dampney/Boulton (21-19, 15-21, 15-13)
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