27/05/2016 12:15
Top seeds through qualification round at Ankara Satellite
2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite - Ankara
Ankara, Turkey, May 27, 2016. The 2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Satellite in Ankara started on Thursday with the qualification round where eight pairs secured their progression to the Main Draw due to follow on Friday. The inaugural CEV Satellite in Ankara is the very first event of the 2016 CEV Beach Volleyball season, which will continue next week with a major highlight – the much anticipated CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final in Biel / Bienne, Switzerland.
7,500 € prize money are at stake in Turkey’s capital together with valuable FIVB / CEV ranking points.
Switzerland’s Dunja Gerson/Nicole Eiholzer opened the programme on Thursday morning with their match against Germany’s Sandra Ittlinger/Yanina Weiland. The Swiss cruised to a speedy 21-9 win in the first set but ended up losing the second 21-19 to their German opponents. However, Gerson and Eiholzer found back their best play in the tie-break which they won 15-8 to claim one of eight tickets at stake to join the Main Draw of the competition.
Italy’s Monica Lestini and Agata Zuccarelli followed suit as they claimed – fairly comfortably – their matchup with Karolina Rehackova and Magdalena Dostalova of the Czech Republic (21-11, 21-19). Everything went just easy for the Italians in the first set and even though the Czechs stepped up their efforts in the second, they could not pose a real threat to their opponents.
Germany’s Cinja Tillmann/Sandra Seyfferth also progressed to the Main Draw after controlling their matchup with Romania’s youngsters Adriana-Maria Matei/Beata Vaida almost from start to end (21-18, 21-18).
Bianca Zass and Valerie Teufl of Austria were the next team to qualify to the Main Draw after their 21-15, 21-18 victory over Asya Dinova and Olga Krasteva of Bulgaria.
Ukraine’s Valentyna Davidova and Ievgeniia Shchypkova also did not tremble in their matchup with France’s Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard (21-18, 21-12).
On the other hand, Pigi Anna Metheniti/Anna Spanou of Greece had to fight a lot more to edge another French pair, Ophélie Lusson and Aline Chamereau, in the match that followed next. The Greeks comfortably won the opening set 21-13, before losing the second 14-21. However, they got back on track in the deciding tie-break which they ultimately won 15-12.
Martina Bonnerova and Nicole Dostalova of the Czech Republic were quite dominant in their match with Bulgaria’s Rusena Slancheva and Diana Malinova (21-10, 21-18) to claim yet another spot in the Main Draw.
Finally, the last match of the day was also the longest one – 48 minutes. Italy’s Rebecca Perry/Laura Giombini (pictured) fought for three close sets and came back from behind to edge Austria’s Cornelia Rimser/Katharina Almer 23-25, 21-19, 15-12 and make it to the Main Draw as well.
Click here for more information including detailed results, a match programme, photos and much more
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