What happened today in the 4 host cities? Take a look at this recap with all the results and game reports.
APELDOORN
Krasilnikov/Liamin (RUS) – Sivolap/Yarzutkin (RUS) 0-2
Kantor/Losiak (POL) – Heidrich/Gerson (SUI) 2-0
Sorum/Mol (NOR) – Thiercy/Gauthier-Rat (FRA) 2-0
THE HAGUE
Koekelkoren/Van Walle (BEL) – Kujawiak/Rudol (POL) 2-0
Team Koekelkoren/Van Walle has hit team Kujawiak/Rudol in two sets. During the first set the match went on quite equally for some time, but in the second set the Belgian men were clearly strongest team.
Until 9-10 the score went rather equally between both teams. Koekelkoren and Van Walle started the match entousiastically and after some service mistakes by the Polish, they took the lead in the first set. As Kujawial and Rudol continued to make mistakes, the set was ending with a score of 14-21.
In the second set no excitement occurred. Due to pressure at the service by the Belgians the Polish did not reach their wished level. Despite several long rallies the match was ending rather quickly with the result 11-21. Wednesday Koekelkoren/Van Walle will play against Brouwer/Meeuwsen.
Smedins/Samoilovs (LET) – Harms/Bergmann (GER) 2-1
The couple Smedins/Samoilovs from Letland has won their first match at the European Champions league Beach volleyball in The Hague. The match against the couple Harms/Bergmann resulted in a match of three sets, but the experienced Lets were too strong for the two younger Germans.
The first set began with overruling playing by Letland, to which the Germans could not react properly. In particular the deep shot, the so-called ‘Rainbow’ delivered many direct points to the Lets. The second set started with a long rally ending with an attach in the net by the Lets. The set was marked by a stronger match on the German side in conjunction with more mistakes by the Lets. During the set the frustration of the Lets was noticeable. At the result 20-10 the first set point was a fact that was worked away by Samoilovs with a nice diagonal shot. The Germans won the second set point by putting down a short diagonal shot too.
Smedins/Samoilovs took the lead in the third set with the result of a time-out on the German side at the result of 6-3. That appeared to be a good move, as after good play of Harms/Bergmann the match resulted in 10-10. At 13-10 Smedins made a mistake at the net. That led to some discussion on both sides and even two yellow cards, one for Smedins and one for Bergmann. Not much later the match was decided by a hard shot by the Lets: 15-12.
Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED) – Giginoglu/Gögtepe (TUR) 2-0
Team Brouwer/Meeuwsen has won its first match against the Turkish team Giginoglu/Gögtepe. It was an exciting match of two sets both of them resulting with a difference of only two points.
The match was opened by a ‘mini of the match’, of which the first rally was played rather acceptable. Of course the result remained 0-0. Turkey started the match with a small difference to their advantage as Brouwer and Meeuwsen did not come easily into the match. Ginginoglu and Gögtepe played many balls straight through the blocking by Meeuwsen, what resulted in many direct points to them. By good pressure in the service on the Dutch side there was still an equal result: 16-16. From that moment the result went on equal and the Dutch at last won the set with the score 25-23.
In the second set Brouwer and Meeuwsen started with a decent advantage.They reached, thank to nice diagonal attacks an advantage of 16-13. After two service mistakes of the Dutch men the result came nearer to each other again. With some long rallies the match was played to finish with an end result of 19-21 for Brouwer/Meeuwsen in the second set.
Fijalek/Bryl (POL) – Rumsevicius/Kazdailis (LTU) 2-0
In two sets the Polish team happened to be stronger than the Lithuanians. Despite smart playing and tap balls of the Lithuanians, Poland remained in charge of them.
Fijalek/Bryl (Poland) got to win the first set convincingly by going ahead really soon with an intermediate of 15-8. Lithuania seemed to get back by making two points. Unfortunately Poland remained the strongest and Rumsevicius/Kazdailis (Lithuania) didn’t get into the match. Poland kept the upperhand and won without much effort the first set with 21-11.
The second set started tensive and they went right on. Lithuania even got ahead by playing smart. In the technical time-out Lithuania was ahead with an intermediate of 9-12. Poland managed to come back slowely until a draw of 15-15. They came ahead by three points which they built out gradually to a win of 21-17.
UTRECHT
Bouter/Varenhorst (NED) – Krou/Aye (FRA) 2-0
Herrera/Gaviria (ESP) – Winter/Hörl (AUT) 2-1
Perusic/Schweiner (CZE) – Beeler/Krattiger (SUI) 0-2
Nicolai/Lupo (ITA) – Kolaric/Basta (SRB) 2-0
ROTTERDAM
Prudel/Szalankiewicz (POL) – Semenov/Leshukov 0-2
Stoyanovskiy/Velichko (RUS) – Dumek/Bercik (CZE) 2-0
Doppler/Horst (AUT) - Van der Ham/Vismans (NED) 2-0
Plavins/Tocs (LET) – Berntsen/Mol (NOR) 2-0