We are getting very close to the exciting conclusion to the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Hamburg. The women’s semifinalist are now known. Four teams battled through the field, avoided any upsets and now find themselves just two wins away from a World Championship and an automatic place in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic field.

On the men’s side, the round of 16 is underway. Yesterday was a huge day for America and Russia on the men’s side. The two nations saw their teams go 4-0 and 3-0 respectively, but in the quarterfinals, something has to give. That’s because all three Russian matches will be against American teams. There are also two Brazilian teams and two Italian teams remaining, a Latvian team, a German team, an Austrian team and a very strong Polish team. But of course the two team that is still everyone’s favorites are Norway. Mol and Sorum are yet to lose a set and the closest anyone has come to taking a set off of them was a comfortable 21 – 18 victory over Erdmann and Winter of Germany.

This photo pretty much sums up what happens to anyone who challenges Anders Mol in Hamburg. Can anyone stop the Norwegians? Photo by FIVB.

Thursday in Hamburg

There are so many big stories from yesterday. Most of them involving Brazilian pain and glory for an unsung team. Evandro and Bruno looked unstoppable at the close of pool play when they eviscerated Herrera and Gavira. Their first round match was against the lowest ranked American team playing at their first world Championships, Billy Allen and Stafford Slick. Allen and Slick played a flawless game and the Brazilians looked listless as the Americans put them to the sword 2 games to 0.

The extra height and incredible reach of Evandro wasn’t enough to overcome the big hearts of Stafford Slick and Billy Allen. Photo by FIVB.

The two best Brazilian women’s teams of 2019 were both well positioned to make it to the podium and both of them were sent packing unexpectedly. Duda and Agatha never saw their exit coming, but Russian partners Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina pulled off the biggest win of their careers on the biggest stage. The Russian’s side out was so consistent and they absorbed the relentless pounding of Duda’s big swings. They required seven match points and had to fight off one match point against them, but they showed phenomenal composure and sent the Brazilian stars home. A few hours later, Ana Patricia and Rebecca, who have been tearing up the World Tour this year and top the Olympic Rankings, took the court. They were facing a Swiss duo Tanja Hüberli and Nina Betschart that are very strong but haven’t been anywhere near a podium in the time their Brazilian foes have made it to the top time and again. Three sets later, the same silence fell over the Brazilian fans. Ana Patricia and Rebecca were going home and Switzerland were moving on.

The hopes of the Dutch also came to an abrupt end yesterday as two women’s teams and their men’s team all lost. Canada lost both of it’s men’s teams as well. The last German women’s team also fell. That means the last hope for the World Championships hosts lies with Julius Thole and Clemens Wickler who knocked out Robert Meeuwsen and Alexander Brouwer. It was Brouwer and Meewsen that sent Phil Daulhausser and Nick Lucena to the brink of elimination with a center court thriller to end pool play, but the Americans have grown in confidence and now look like their old selves after beating high flying Cherif and Ahmed yesterday. The Crabb family has a lot to celebrate as two brothers made it to the round of 16, Trevor and Tri Borne looked as strong as they have in many weeks when they knocked out popular Germans Nils Ehlers and Lars Flüggen. The split blocking Americans (this means both partners share blocking responsibilities) may have the freshest legs going into the late stages of the tournament since they jump to block half as often as their opponents. Taylor and Jake Gibb didn’t want to miss out on the later round fun and made sure that 25% of the remaining men’s teams were from the USA.

That was yesterday, What about today?

Women’s Quarterfinals

There were four matches at the start of the day in Hamburg to determine the final four. Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar have been favorites from the start but have had to battle in almost every match. Where other teams folded and got sent home, they have handled the pressure and are now in the semfinals. They made it today with a victory over the Russian pair that sent Agatha and Duda home yesterday.

Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes also booked their place in the final by getting past Italians Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth. The Canadians are a perfect 6 – 0 at the World Championships They have looked completely in control of their elimination matches after getting pushed to three sets a couple of times in pool play. They are now just two more wins away from a World Championship and a place in the Tokyo summer Olympics.

Sarah Pavan cuts past the Italian block en route to an elusive quarterfinals victory. Photo by FIVB.

The third quarterfinal was a battle between two American teams. April Ross and Alix Klineman were no surprise to see at this stage of the tournament, but based on recent form, Summer Ross and Sara Hughes were not expected to make it this far. The teams returned to form in this one and the A-team is on their way to the semifinals. They have also made a big move to separate themselves from the very crowded American field in the race for the Olympics. They will play the Australians in tonight’s semifinal.

The last semifinalists are the Swiss pair of Tanja Hüberli and Nina Betschart. They sent the last of the Brazilian’s home when they knocked out Barbara Seixas De Freitas and Fernanda Alves. The first set was close, but the Brazilians were able to do just enough through some clutch serving. The next two sets were a different story though. Barbara was the only one on the court that had won a World Championship, but it was the Swiss ladies that made the big plays down the stretch. This is going to be the best tournament finish of the year for these Swiss ladies no matter how things go from here, but they may just ride this momentum all the way to Tokyo.

Tanja Hüberli and Nina Betschart are living the dream and may be riding their dream all the way to a World Championships and a place in Tokyo. Photo by FIVB.