Fort Lauderdale, USA, February 10, 2017 - Two teams each from Brazil, Russia and the United States won opening women's elimination matches here Friday morning in the $600,000 Fort Lauderdale Major as the international beach volleyball tour launches its 2017 campaign.
With the two elimination wins by 14th-seeded qualifier Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini and 16th-seeded Barbara Seixas/Fernanda Alves, Brazil will have five pairs competing in the Round of 16 that will set the lineup for Saturday's quarterfinal matches on the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park courts.
The United States will have four tandems in the round after 18th-seeded Lauren Fendrick/Sara Hughes and 28th-seeded qualifiers Brittany Hochevar/Emily Day captured their opening matches Friday with three-set elimination victories
Here's Friday's opening women's results with the afternoon and early evening schedule.
Elimination Round 1 Results
• Ekaterina Birlova/Nadezda Makroguzova, Russia (No. 26-seeded team) def. Joana Heidrich/Anouk Verge-Depre, Switzerland (6) 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) (35 minutes)
• Lauren Fendrick/Sara Hughes, United States (18) def. Karla Borger/Margareta Kozuch, Germany (23) 2-1 (18-21, 21-15, 19-17) (53)
• Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini, Brazil (14) def. Sandra Ittlinger/Teresa Mersmann, Germany (29) 2-1 (21-15, 17-21, 15-10) (44)
• Brittany Hochevar/Emily Day, United States (28) def. Joy Stubbe/Jolien Sinnema, Netherlands (31) 2-1 (21-19, 22-24, 15-10) (0:47)
• Evgeniya Ukolova/Anastasia Barsuk, Russia (24) def. Kelly Claes/Kelly Reeves, United States (30) 2-1 (19-21, 21-13, 15-10) (0:42)
• Kristyna Kolocova/Michala Kvapilova, Czech Republic (22) def. Taru Lahti/Anniina Parkkinen, Finland (17) 2-0 (21-12, 21-14) (0:30)
• Barbara Seixas/Fernanda Alves, Brazil (16) def. Katharina Schutzenhofer/Stefanie Schwaiger, Austria (25) 2-1 (21-9, 17-21, 15-9) (0:43)
• Sophie van Gestel/Madelein Meppelink, Netherlands (12) def. Kira Walkenhorst/Julia Grossner, Germany (4) 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) (0:33)
Elimination Round 2 Schedule
• April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings, United States (1) v. Birlova/Makroguzova, Russia (26)
• Agatha Bednarczuk/Eduarda Lisboa, Brazil (5) v. Fendrick/Hughes, United States (18)
• Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova, Czech Republic (9) v. Josemari/Liliane, Brazil (14)
• Chantal Laboureur/Julia Sude, Germany (3) v. Hochevar/Day, United States (28)
• Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross, United States (13) v. Ukolova/Barsuk, Russia (24)
• Elize Maia/Taiana Lima, Brazil (7) v. Kolocova/Kvapilova, Czech Republic (22)
• Brandie Wilkerson/Heather Bansley, Canada (11) v. Barbara/Fernanda, Brazil (16)
• Larissa Franca/Talita Antunes, Brazil (2) v. van Gestel/Meppelink, Netherlands (12)
