SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2011 – Myslowice Open – GOLDIES Sanne Keizer & Marleen Van Iersel

Marleen Van Iersel and Sanne Keizer, whose previous best finish at the FIVB Swatch Beach Volleyball World tour prior to their Shanghai victory two weeks ago and a bronze at the Osaka Open in 2009 prior to their first gold medal, defeated the no. 14 seeds Cicolari/Menegatti 21-17, 21-18 in 36 minutes despite Cicolari/Menegatti leading the head to head 2-0, coming into the match, which included a 2-0 (21-18, 21-19) win in round three on Friday. Both finalists came up through the contender’s bracket.

“It was a great tournament, we started well. We did have to fight back through the losers bracket but we just kept on playing and it worked,” Marleen Van Iersel said. “ It was a great opportunity to play in the tournament and it was fun because we have been beaten by Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti before in this tournament.”

Both teams were equally matched in the first half of the first set with superb defending and attacking. But the number six seeds opened up a lead with some magnificent blocking to take the final point in the first set on 20-17.

Fired up by the loss of the first set Italy took an early lead but Sanne Keizer and Marleen Van Iersel, fresh from their first title in Shanghai, were in no mood to let their second title slip from of their fingers. Tied at 15-15, the Dutch pair, who defeated double Olympic champion Kerri Walsh and reigning FIVB World Champions Jennifer Kessy and April Ross and of the United States on Saturday, raced ahead to take the final set 21-18.

Great results for the european teams with 3 teams on the 5 first ranked teams and Special mention to Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti.
Record for the Italian beach volleyball. Marta Menegatti and Greta Cicolari win the semifinal of the Open Myslowice.

Yesterday the Italians left their next opponents Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig, little to celebrate on Goller’s 27th birthday, making the fourth seeds fight for every point in the three set match which ended 2-1 (26-24, 19-21, 15-11) after 55 minutes in favour of Cicolari/Menegatti.
“We are very happy because we played well,” Greta Cicolari, 28, said. “They were difficult opponents but I think adrenalin got us through. Last year I had two injuries to my knee so I couldn’t play too much. This year I have practiced and trained a lot and the best way to win is this.”
In the year when the World Beach Volleyball Championships will be held in Italy, in Rome June 13 to 19, the two blue-athletes are getting great results. In Poland Cicolari / Menegatti are playing a very high level of volleyball and the final is a reward well deserved. Having beaten in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Talita / Antonelli, Greta and Marta who defeated two to one in the semi-final German Goller / Ludwig.

HOT Facts
– 2nd consecutive Gold medal for Sanne Keizer and Marleen Van Iersel
– 3 european teams in the 5th first places
– 2nd Final for an Italian Team and 2nd Silver Medal for Marta Menegatti (Phuket and Myslowice)
– Walsh-Hochevar for their first tournament together ranked 7th
– Good first result on the World tour for Marie-Andrée Lessard and Annie Martin first tournament of the season

Final results

Semi-finals
60	21-May	17:05	C	Kessy-Ross USA [2]	Keizer-Van Iersel NED [6]	0-2 (15-21, 18-21)	0:31
59	21-May	16:05	C	Goller-Ludwig GER [4]	Cicolari-Menegatti ITA [14]	1-2 (24-26, 21-19, 11-15)	0:55

Final 3rd Place
61	22-May	11:05	C	Goller-Ludwig GER [4]	Kessy-Ross USA [2]	0-2 (21-23, 15-21)	0:39

Final 1st Place
62	22-May	13:05	C	Cicolari-Menegatti ITA [14]	Keizer-Van Iersel NED [6]	0-2 (17-21, 18-21)	0:36

Final Ranking

Rk.TeamCountryPointsEarnings (US$)1Keizer-Van IerselNED60030’000.002Cicolari-MenegattiITA54021’000.003Kessy-RossUSA48015’000.004Goller-LudwigGER42011’200.005Maria Clara-CarolBRA3609’100.00Talita-AntonelliBRA3609’100.007Schwaiger-SchwaigerAUT3007’600.00Hochevar-WalshUSA3007’600.009Lili-VieiraBRA2406’000.00Xue-Zhang XiCHN2406’000.00Kuhn-ZumkehrSUI2406’000.00Akers-BranaghUSA2406’000.0013Lessard-MartinCAN1804’250.00Borger-BütheGER1804’250.00Köhler-SudeGER1804’250.00Fendrick-HansonUSA1804’250.0017Bawden-PalmerAUS1202’800.00Renata-Lese LimaBRA1202’800.00Klapalova-HajeckovaCZE1202’800.00Kolocova-SlukovaCZE1202’800.00Mullin-DampneyGBR1202’800.00Saka-RtveloGEO1202’800.00Gioria-MomoliITA1202’800.00Khomyakova-UkolovaRUS1202’800.0025Bansley-MaloneyCAN602’000.00Liliana-MatveevaESP602’000.00Giombini-RossoITA602’000.00Candelas-GarciaMEX602’000.00Maaseide-IngridNOR602’000.00Paszek-BekierPOL602’000.00Urban-SowalaPOL602’000.00Wiatr-WardakPOL602’000.00