BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Australia's final two pairs have been knocked out at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.
Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy continued their strong recent form with a win in the round of 16 before they were eventually knocked out in the quarter finals. The Aussies started the day with an upset victory over hometown favourites Madelein Meppelink and Marleen Van Iersel 24-22 16-21 15-12. Their tournament however ended when they went down 21-15 16-21 16-18 to Brazilian 9th seeds Taiana Lima and Fernanda Alves.
Isaac Kapa and Christopher McHugh bowed out in the round of 16 after going down Brazilian third seeds Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt 21-15 21-17. The Aussie 22nd seeds had come through their pool with two wins and a loss before a win in their opening knockout match on Wednesday set up the clash with the classy Brazilian duo.
Earlier in the tournament U/23 World Champions Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar were knocked out in their opening elimination match while Joshua Court and Julien Schumann were unable to progress out of their pool.
Day 6
Australia's hopes of a World Championship remain alive after the nation's leading men's and women's pairs made it through to the second round of elimination matches in the Netherlands.
Isaac Kapa and Christopher McHugh dominated 38th seeded Venezuelan pair Jackson Henriquez and Jesus Villafane with a 21-12 21-15 straight sets victory. The 22nd seeds will need to be on top of their game if they are to progress any further, with Brazilian third seeds Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt up next.
Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy continued their recent strong form with a 21-18 21-14 victory over Swiss 36th seeds Isabelle Forrer and Anouk Verge-Depre. They will now face the tournament favourites Madelein Meppelink and Marleen Van Iersel of the Netherlands who defeated them in the recent Stavanger Major in straight sets.
U/23 World Champions Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar went down to top seeded Brazilians Larissa Franca Maestrini and Talita Da Rocha Antunes 21-18 21-17.
Day 5
Three Australian pairings remain in the hunt at the World Championships after the pool stage of the competition concluded overnight.
Despite losing their final group match Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy qualified for the knockout phase after finishing second in their pool. The 19th seeds went down to 7th seeded Spainsh duo Steiner Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo 13-21, 19-21 to head into the knockout phase with two wins and a loss. Next up for the Aussies are Swiss 36th seeds Isabelle Forrer and Anouk Verge-Depre.
U/23 World Champions Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar scored their first win of the tournament after getting the better of Dutch duo Rimke Braakman and Jolien Sinnema 21-11, 21-15. The win ensured the Aussies progressed as one of the highest ranked third placed teams. They will have to be at their best in their opening elimination match though as they face top seeded Brazilians Larissa Franca Maestrini and Talita Da Rocha Antunes.
The Brazilians have only dropped one set in their three wins. The Australians are ready for an upset though having taken a set off the top American team Ross/Walsh in their opening encounter.
Both men's sides had finished their pool matches and were awaiting other results to determine their progression. Isaac Kapa and Christopher McHugh, ended up second in their pool and will take on 38th seeded Venezuelan pair Jackson Henriquez and Jesus Villafane in their first elimination match.
Young pairing of Joshua Court and Julien Schumann were knocked out of the competition after missing out on qualifying as one of the highest ranked third placed teams.
Day 4
Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy have remained undefeated in a mixed day for the four Aussie pairs competing at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.
Bawden and Clancy claimed a dominant victory over Slovakia's Tina Tunerova and Gabriela Tomasekova 21-11, 21-11. With two wins from two starts and progression through to the knockout phase all but assured, the 19th seeded duo will be looking to defeat Spain's Steiner Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo to top their pool.
22nd seeds Isaac Kapa and Chris McHugh lost their first match of the tournament after going down in straight sets 14-21, 19-21 to USA 28th seeds Ryan Doherty and John Mayer. Despite the result the pair finished second in their pool and will progress through to the elimation matches.
U/23 World Champions Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar went down to USA 2nd seeds Kerri Walsh and April Ross in three sets 21-18, 15-21, 12-15. The 31st seeded Aussies will now need to win their final pool match and hope they can qualify as one of the highest ranked third placed teams to progress in the tournament. They face home-town favourites Rimke Braakman and Jolien Sinnema in the decisive match this evening.
Joshua Court and Damien Schumann claimed their first win of the tournament with a straight sets 21-19, 26-24 triumph over Qatar's Jefferson Santos Peirera and Cherif Younousse. The Aussie duo will now to wait to see if they qualify as one of the highest ranked third placed sides, with the final pool matches to be played tonight.
Day 3
Australia’s top ranked men’s and women’s teams both remain undefeated after two matches at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in The Netherlands.
Isaac Kapa and Chris McHugh recorded strong wins against teams from Kazakhstan and New Zealand, while Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy dropped their first set against Paraguay but have been in ruthless form ever since.
In something of a shock the unheralded Paraguayans took the opening set off Bawden and Clancy 21-17, which woke the Australians from their slumber.
They breezed through the second set 21-8, and then blew their opponents off the court 15-1 in the decider.
Kapa and McHugh are yet to drop a set in The Netherlands, posting a 21-18, 21-12 result over Kazakhstan, before seeing off the highly rated New Zealand pair of Mike Watson and Sam O’Dea 21-19, 21-17.
Both teams face their toughest test in pool play in their next matches, with Kapa and McHugh taking on Americans Ryan Doherty and John Mayer, while Bawden and Clancy face a showdown with Spanish seventh seeds Liliana Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo.
Bawden and Clancy came into the World Championships seeded 19th, but have a current world ranking in the top ten after a series of strong world tour results.
Kapa and McHugh are seeded 22nd in The Netherlands.
In other Australian results, Josh Court and Damien Schumann have suffered two losses in their first two matches, losing to Brazil and Austria in straight sets.
And Australia’s World Under 23 champions, Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, were beaten by Canada in their only match of the tournament so far.
Matt Bartolo
Olympics.com.au
