22/06/2014 17:40
Sammarinese sensation with Romania, Belarus claims ticket to 3rd Round
2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup - Men
Schinias, Greece, June 22, 2014. A little sensation highlighted the second and final day of the men’s tournament on schedule this weekend in Schinias for the 1st Round of the 2014-2016 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup. The rookies and underdogs of San Marino beat Romania on Sunday morning and this way got the right to challenge Belarus for second place in Pool E and for the much coveted ticket to progress directly to the 3rd Round of the competition. In the end, the physical supremacy of the Belarusian guys was too much to stand for the Sammarinese duos that nevertheless could be happy with their debut in the Continental Cup. Greece and Belarus advance to the 3rd Round scheduled for next year, whereas San Marino and Romania will come back later this summer in the second stage of the competition whose dates and venues are still to be determined.
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San Marino’s players wrote a piece of history on Sunday in Schinias as they powered to two victories over their opponents from Romania to get the right to take on Belarus in the “small final” for second and third place.
2nd and 3rd place Final
Belarus vs. San Marino 2:0
Aliaksandr Dziadkou and Aliaksandr Kavalenka showed no mercy for their young and inexperienced opponents, thrashing Lorenzo Benvenuti and Andrea Lazzarini by 21-12, 21-17. The guys from Belarus hit some powerful spikes in the first set but in the second they had a little harder time as Benvenuti and Lazzarini could now and then display a solid performance to keep the score tighter.
The second match starring Anton Dedkov and Anton Sinhayeuski vs. Ivo Mattia Valentini and Francesco Tabarini was literally one-sided, with the Belarusian team pocketing their victory in only 29 minutes of play (21-15, 21-12).
Greece’s top team Georgios Kotsilianos and Nikos Zoupanis commented at the end of the tournament: “It was a very good tournament and we are happy with our first place. We think this is a good boost for the next round. The last matches we played yesterday with Belarus went very well and we are sure our performance pleased the fans that had come to support us.”
Their countryman Ioannis Roumeliotakis added: “I am very happy with our qualification for the next round. I want to congratulate my partner, Fernandos Billiris, and the other Greek team as well. The venue was excellent, the courts were perfect, and the organisation of this tournament ran very smoothly. It’s very good to have some international tournaments in our country because we can offer everything that Beach Volleyball requires: the courts, a good organisation, and good weather as well.”
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