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Beach volleyball 01/11/2013

Argentina's Gallay/Klug ecstatically reach final eight at Phuket Open

Phuket, Thailand, November 1, 2013 – Argentina’s Ana
Gallay and Georgina Klug gain their best ever result, reaching the final eight at
the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open on Friday. The
popular Phuket Open is back this year as the penultimate FIVB Open event of the
season running from October 29 to November 3.

Gallay/Klug met Jamie Lynn Broder and Kristina Valjas from
Canada in their only match of the day after progressing directly into round two
of single elimination, winning 2-0
(21-15, 21-16).

Onwards
& upwards

Gallay/Klug retained the form they have shown so far in
Phuket by maintaining control, despite their clear excitement during the match
against Broder/Valjas. Argentina took an early lead in the second and Canada
could never close the gap, even with some great saves by Valjas.

A strategic Gallay/Klug time-out for Canada’s serve at
match point played out and a lovely Gallay tip over the net closed the match to
vocal Argentinian celebrations.

“I cannot say more than happy, happy, happy. It’s
difficult to say what you feel after our first season playing together.
Actually almost our first year playing beach volleyball, so we are really proud
of the whole effort that we made the whole year with the coaches in Argentina
and everybody,” said Klug.

Gallay/Klug only teamed up this year and took their
best result at the Anapa Open with ninth.

“We really played with the heart every point, we never
got to a fifth position in the whole season so we’re really fighting for it and
every point for us was like a victory. We feel really confident I think,” said
Klug.

For me it is the best tournament in the whole year because
I have the beach, and a great beach here. We really enjoy that, going to the
sea five times a day and enjoying this amazing place.”

The Argentinian pair now face Agatha Bednarczuk and Maria
Antonelli on Saturday to vie for a place in the semifinal in Phuket.

“I’m feeling happy, tired and very determined,” said
Gallay.

We feel really good for tomorrow, we really want to
play and we will see what happens, but for sure we play with the heart.”

The Argentinian pair topped Pool D on Thursday by beating Brazil’s Maria Clara Salgado
Rufino and Carolina Solberg Salgado. Maria Clara-Carol are now the top seeded
players left in the tournament after they knocked out Laura Ludwig and Kira
Walkenhorst in a well matched three set battle 2-1 (13-21, 21-17, 15-11).

Highest result

Rimke Braakman and Jantine van der Vlist from the Netherlands
is another team who have reached a career best in Phuket entering the last
eight after failing to drop a match in the tournament so far. They beat top
qualifiers Teresa Mersmann and Isabel Schneider from Germany, helped along by some
useful blocking and intelligent placement by Van der Vlist, 2-1 (19-21, 22-20, 15-11).

“It was really tough, with these conditions I think all
teams are struggling. Against the German’s it’s always a fight, but getting the
win is great,” said Van
der Vlist.

“Our level
was really going up and down, but in the end we all stayed fighting. I think
everyone fought really hard, but I think we fought a little harder because we
had the win,” said Braakman.

The Dutch pair is no stranger on the FIVB world
circuit, but had not finished above ninth (Moscow Grand Slam) together until
today.

“I didn’t
really realise it, but we’re still in the game so let’s keep going and see
where we end,” said Van der Vlist.

Braakman/Van der Vlist now face the only remaining USA
team, Emily Day and Summer Ross on Friday as the new partnership still irons
out the creases, but has high hopes for the future.

“I think we’re
getting there, at the beginning we were struggling a little but now it’s
getting better and I think there’s good hope for the future and we can be a
really good team,” said Braakman.

Thailand’s top women’s team Varapatsorn Radarong and
Tanarattha Udomchavee didn’t quite reach the top ten they were eager for, but
the pair put on a great show in Phuket. In the first round of knock-outs, they
beat Mexico’s Candelas Bibiana and Martha Revuelta 2-0 (21-14, 25-23) as the
winds picked up on centre court. In the final 16 they couldn’t match the
strength of Agatha Bednarczuk and Maria Antonelli from Brazil who won 2-0 (21-8, 21-17).

Disappointment also for April Ross and Jennifer Fopma in
Phuket who unfortunately retire due to illness.

Thailand has hosted
over 10 women’s and one men’s FIVB tournament. Overall, the USA has been the
most successful with 10 medal finishes in the seven FIVB World Tour events held
in Phuket.

The tournament
previously ran from 2006 until 2011, when the event moved to Bangsaen in 2012.
China’s Chen Xue and Zhang Xi won the 2011 edition, while Jennifer Kessy and
April Ross were victorious in 2012.

Phuket
is an island located to the south of Thailand, while the city of Phuket is the
island’s capital and home to 75,000 people. It is located 825 kilometres from
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

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