19/05/2018 23:00
Swedish women secure their country’s first-ever World Tour podium finish
2018 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite - Aydin
Aydin, Turkey, May 19, 2018. Two teams from Sweden as well as one from Cuba and Russia each progressed to the women’s semi-finals of the 1-Star event in Aydin, Turkey. Saturday featured a long programme with the last pool matches followed by the Round of 12 and the quarterfinals to determine the composition of Sunday’s semis. With today’s results, Sweden have secured their first-ever podium finish – men’s or women’s – on the World Tour.
Russia’s Ksenia Dabizha/Daria Mastikova, Italy’s Silvia Costantini/Agata Zuccarelli, Norway’s Victoria Faye Kjølberg/Ane Guro Hjortland and Cuba’s Leila Martinez/Mailen Deliz progressed straight to the quarterfinals as they claimed two wins in as many matches in their pools.
The silver medal winners from the inaugural European Snow Volleyball Championship and home stars Bugra Eryildiz/Aleyna Vence played Italy’s Claudia Puccinelli/Gaia Traballi for a spot in the Round of 12. They, however, could not find their rhythm and the Italians celebrated a compelling 21-13, 21-17 victory. “We are happy with making it to the quarterfinals, especially since we were so angry after yesterday’s loss in the pool,” Traballi said. “It is the first time we compete in the Main Draw of a World Tour event and it is our first event together as well. The crowd and the weather are amazing. The organisers are doing a great job and we love the city.” Puccinelli and Traballi then lost in the Round of 12 to Denmark’s Trans Hansen/Tyndeskov after a match lasting for 58 minutes.
Teams from Denmark and Cuba fighting for a spot in the semis at the 1-Star Aydin Open
Later in the day, Sweden’s Kristina and Susanna Thurin opened the programme of the quarterfinals playing Italy’s Costantini and Zuccarelli. After clearly losing the first set, the Swedish twins stormed back to claim a 13-21, 21-18, 15-11 victory to move on to the semis. Top-seeded Dabizha and Mastikova of Russia played an incredibly intense game with Greece’s Panagiota Karagkouni and Aliki Spiliotopoulou to record a 24-22, 19-21, 15-11 win and stay in contention for the medals. Sweden qualified a second team for the semis as Tadva Yoken and Sigrid Simonsson claimed the Scandinavian derby with Kjølberg/Hjortland 21-17, 23-21 in 54 minutes. Cuba’s Leila Martinez and Mailen Deliz are the fourth semi-finalists following their 21-13, 21-16 victory in the match with Denmark’s Line Trans Hansen and Maria Elisabeth Tyndeskov.
Facts and figures
• This is the 27th season of FIVB World Tour women’s competition
• The Aydin Open is the 349th women’s FIVB World Tour event since August 1992
• Event No. 350 is being played this weekend in Brazil (Itapema, 4-Star)
• The two Swedish teams in the Aydin Open semi-finals marks the first time that a men’s or women’s team(s) from that country have advanced to a FIVB World Tour ‘final four’.
• Sweden is guaranteed its first FIVB World Tour women’s or men’s medal.
• Cuba will have a women’s team in a FIVB World Tour ‘final four’ for the first time since June 2005 when Dalixia Fernandez Grasset/Tamara Larrea Peraza placed fourth at the FIVB World Championships in Berlin (226 women’s FIVB World Tour events ago).
• Mailen Deliz/Leila Martinez are the second Cuban women’s team to reach a FIVB World Tour semi-final with the first being Dalixia Fernandez Grasset/Tamara Larrea Peraza four times (2003 Greece & Indonesia, 2004 Berlin, 2005 Berlin). The pair earned two medals (Indonesia 2003, Berlin 2004).
• Ksenia Dabizha/Daria Mastikova will be seeking their second FIVB World Tour gold medal this season after topping the podium April 29 in Langkawi, Malaysia. The Russians defeated Katja Stam/Julia Wouters of The Netherlands 2-0 (21-10, 29-27) in the 34-minute Langkawi finale.
• Dabizha/Mastikova also placed third this season in Cambodia with a May 6 bronze medal win over Alice Bain/Julia Tilley of New Zealand 2-0 (21-19, 21-8) in 33 minutes.
• Dabizha/Mastikova have won 12 of 14 matches this season.
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