USA and Brazil top podium in Shanghai

The first double-gender Grand Slam tournament of the 2013 season took place in the Jinshan District of Shanghai from April 30 to May 5.This was the tenth successive year that Shanghai hosted a women’s World Tour event and its ninth successive year as a stop on the men’s circuit.

Having started as an Open in 2004 for women and 2005 for men, Shanghai was upgraded to a Grand Slam in 2012.

The USA’s Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson continued to fly the flag high taking gold in the men’s competition, while Brazil’s Talita Antunes da Rocha did the honours for Brazil once again in the women’s competition this year with new partner Taiana de Souza Lima. 

Men’s competition

Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson of the United States won an entertaining blocking battle against Brazil’s Pedro Solberg Salgado/Bruno Oscar Schmidt in the final to claim their first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour title together. Playing in only their second tournament together, Gibb/Patterson held off Bruno/Pedro 2-1 (21-16, 9-21, 15-9) in 43 minutes to finish with a perfect 7-0 win-loss record in Shanghai.

In the bronze medal match, the Brazilian team of Ricardo Alex Costa Santos/Álvaro Morais Filho eased past Poland’s Michal Kadziola/Jakub Szalankiewicz 2-0 (21-12, 21-10) for their first medal together.

Women’s competition

Two-time Shanghai Open champion Talita Antunes da Rocha of Brazil and her new partner Taiana de Souza Lima clean swept Austria’s Doris and Stefanie Schwaigers to win their first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour/Open title together in straight sets 2-0 (21-13, 21-11) in 34 minutes.

Maria and Carolina Salgado rallied past Madelein Meppelink/Sophie van Gestel of the Netherlands 2-1 (16-21, 21-19, 15-8) in the bronze medal match to repeat their third place finish in the Shanghai Open four years ago.