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12/03/2016

Austria, Brazil, France, Netherlands, Poland & USA seek men’s Copacabana medals

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 11, 2016 - Led by host Brazil and Poland, eight men’s Beach Volleyball pairs from six countries won elimination matches here Friday afternoon and evening to advance to the “Elite Eight” at this week’s FIVB World Event on Copacabana.

With the US$800,000 Rio Grand Slam being the first of two “big” events on the iconic beach in 2016, the men’s quarter- and semi-final matches will be played Saturday as the international circuit returns to site for the second-straight year where the FIVB World Tour got its start in 1987.

MEN’S ELITE EIGHT

Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Pedro Solberg/Evandro Goncalves were the host country’s Rio Grand Slam quarter-finalists as the two Brazilian teams were named last September to represent the South American country in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be played August 6-18 on Copacabana.

Joining Brazil with two pairs in the quarter-finals is Poland with 15th-seeded Grzegorz Fijalek/Mariusz Prudel and 23rd-seeded qualifiers Bartosz Losiak/Piotr Kantor in the “Elite Eight”. Three other European teams advanced to the “Elite Eight”, including fifth-seeded Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen of The Netherlands, ninth-seeded Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst of Austria and 24th-seeded Youssef Krou/Edouard Rowlandson of France.

Sixth-seeded Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena of the United States fill out the list of quarter-final participants. The Americans are seeking their fourth gold medal and seventh title match appearance since reforming their partnership last August.

WORLD CHAMPIONS MEET

One of Saturday’s quarter-finals will pit the two teams that have topped world championship podiums as 2013 winners Brouwer and Meeuwsen face 2015 victors Alison and Bruno. The Brazilians have won four of the five previous meetings, including a semi-final victory at the 2015 ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball in Long Beach, Calif.

Other quarter-final pairings have Pedro/Evandro meeting Doppler/Horst, Dalhausser/Lucena against Losiak/Kantor and Krou/Rowlandson vs. Fijalek/Prudel. Pedro/Evandro hold a 1-0 edge in the FIVB World Tour with the Austrians and Dalhausser/Lucena defeated Losiak/Kantor two weeks ago in Maceio (Brazil) pool play and Fijalek/Prudel have won two of three FIVB matches with the French.

BRAZILIAN COMEBACKS

After losing their first two pool play matches this week, Pedro and Evandro have won three-straight including a 2-1 (17-21, 21-12, 21-19) win in 57 minutes over 11th-seeded Konstantin Semenov and Viacheslav Krasilnikov of Russia. Pedro and Evandro trailed 10-7 in the third and deciding set with the Russians, before Evandro’s service game gave the Brazilian new life in the comeback win.

“His is incredible. He is amazing,” said an elated Pedro, who is playing on his home sand. His serves got us back in the game as the Russians were really in control of the final set. What a player.”

In the evening last match at ended at 11:10 p.m. (local time), Alison and Bruno out-lasted eight-seeded Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton of Canada 2-1 (26-24, 17-21, 15-12) in 61 minutes. “It is tough waiting around all day to play just one match,” said Bruno after the match. Alison and Bruno trailed 10-8 in the third and final set.

WHAT’S NEXT

With the men’s and women’s quarter- and semi-finals being played Saturday on the seaside courts, the medal matches are scheduled for Sunday morning. The winning teams in both the men’s and women’s gold medal match will share the $57,000 first-place prizes. The silver medal teams will spit $43,000.

The Rio Grand Slam is the third of five Olympic qualifying events being staged in the South American country with the final two tournaments being next week in Vitoria (March 15-20) and at Fortaleza (April 26-May 1). The Rio Grand Slam is the fourth event on the women’s FIVB World Tour calendar for the 2015-2016 season.

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