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Raajiv Tripathi
DOHA
Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena showcased their preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifying season as the 17th seeds from the USA cruised into the final of the Katara Beach Open Cup with a 21-19, 21-11 romp over fourth-seeds Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira from Spain.
At the Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Dalhausser, the former world and Olympic champion Dalhausser, and Lucena put up a compact performance and took just 33 minutes to roll into the 17th final together. At 10-8, Dalhausser effected a monster block and this enabled them to seal the opening set.
In the second, Dalhausser and Lucena built up an early pressure with precision play and forged ahead 13-7 before going on to complete their fifth career victory in as many matches against the Spanish rivals.
The Americans will take on Chilean Grimalt cousins, Esteban and Marco, in a bid to wrap their 10th title for the team on Saturday evening. The Chile team, which began in the qualifying round, added another surprise result to their kitty as they stunned second seeds Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek from Poland 18-21, 21-14, 15-12 in 51 minutes.
Fresh from their Sydney 3-Star triumph last week, their second on the FIVB Tour, this was the first clash for Esteban and Marco against the Poles.
Dalhausser, who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal and 2007 World Championship with Todd Rogers, said he was very pleased with the preps, keeping in mind the eventual target 2020 Tokyo Games.
“We’re quite delighted with our qualification for the final in the first event on the FIVB Tour. We’d a strong off-season and the ultimate goal is indeed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal.”
“We played extremely well as a team. We put the Spaniards in a lot of uncomfortable situations with our serve locations. The score-line may suggest that the match was easy but it wasn’t. Rather we played very well and made the score-line look easy,” the tall American added.
Last year, Dalhausser and Lucena came to Doha after winning two big events in a row and were shocked by eventual runners-up Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Igor Velichko from Russia. And there was another setback in store for them as local lads Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan overpowered them in three sets to bag the first medal for the Qatari team – the bronze medal.
The win in the semi-finals may have soothed some of the pain the Americans suffered here in 2018 and Dalhausser said his team is ready (for whoever advances to the final). “We’ll see. We’re to play as best beach volleyball as we can. Hopefully, that will be good enough to win the gold medal in Doha.”
The tournament earlier continued to see a spate of upsets as top seeds and last year’s bronze medallists Younousse and Tijan were by beaten by Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek in straight but extremely tight sets by 21-19, 23-21 in the quarter-finals.
Younousse and Tijan had clashed with Bryl and Fijalek here last year in the quarter-finals as well. And on that occasion, the local players were able to put it across the Poles in three sets after falling 0-1 behind.
However, the Polish, who are looking for their breakthrough title on the FIVB World Beach Tour since teaming up in February 2017, extended their winning after beating the Qatari team in the 2018 Vienna Major before going to collect one of their three runners-up finishes on the Tour.Grimalt cousins surprise second seeds Bryl, Fijalek in semi-final; Younousse, Tijan lose in quarters2019 KATARA BEACH OPEN CUP resultSSemi-finalscTypeface:> Esteban Grimalt / Marco Grimalt Chile (18, Q1) def. Michal Bryl / Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (2) 18-21, 21-14, 15-12 (0:51); Phil Dalhausser / Nick Lucena United States (17) def. Pablo Herrera / Adrian Gavira Spain (4) 21-19, 21-11 (0:33).
Quarter-Finals
Michal Bryl/Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (2) def. Cherif Samba/Ahmed Tijan Qatar (1) 21-19, 23-21 (0:41); Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt Chile (18, Q1) def. Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo Italy (8) 22-20, 18-21, 15-11 (0:45); Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira Spain (4) def. Nikita Liamin/Igor Velichko Russia (21) 21-10, 21-18 (0:32); Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena United States (17) def. Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak Poland (6) 21-14, 21-17 (0:37).
Saturday’s fixtures
Bronze Medal (4.45pm): Michal Bryl/Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (2) vs. Pablo Herrera / Adrian Gavira Spain (4) Gold Medal (6 pm): Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt Chile (18, Q1) vs. Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena US (17).
DOHA
Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena showcased their preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifying season as the 17th seeds from the USA cruised into the final of the Katara Beach Open Cup with a 21-19, 21-11 romp over fourth-seeds Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira from Spain.
At the Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Dalhausser, the former world and Olympic champion Dalhausser, and Lucena put up a compact performance and took just 33 minutes to roll into the 17th final together. At 10-8, Dalhausser effected a monster block and this enabled them to seal the opening set.
In the second, Dalhausser and Lucena built up an early pressure with precision play and forged ahead 13-7 before going on to complete their fifth career victory in as many matches against the Spanish rivals.
The Americans will take on Chilean Grimalt cousins, Esteban and Marco, in a bid to wrap their 10th title for the team on Saturday evening. The Chile team, which began in the qualifying round, added another surprise result to their kitty as they stunned second seeds Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek from Poland 18-21, 21-14, 15-12 in 51 minutes.
Fresh from their Sydney 3-Star triumph last week, their second on the FIVB Tour, this was the first clash for Esteban and Marco against the Poles.
Dalhausser, who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal and 2007 World Championship with Todd Rogers, said he was very pleased with the preps, keeping in mind the eventual target 2020 Tokyo Games.
“We’re quite delighted with our qualification for the final in the first event on the FIVB Tour. We’d a strong off-season and the ultimate goal is indeed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal.”
“We played extremely well as a team. We put the Spaniards in a lot of uncomfortable situations with our serve locations. The score-line may suggest that the match was easy but it wasn’t. Rather we played very well and made the score-line look easy,” the tall American added.
Last year, Dalhausser and Lucena came to Doha after winning two big events in a row and were shocked by eventual runners-up Oleg Stoyanovskiy and Igor Velichko from Russia. And there was another setback in store for them as local lads Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan overpowered them in three sets to bag the first medal for the Qatari team – the bronze medal.
The win in the semi-finals may have soothed some of the pain the Americans suffered here in 2018 and Dalhausser said his team is ready (for whoever advances to the final). “We’ll see. We’re to play as best beach volleyball as we can. Hopefully, that will be good enough to win the gold medal in Doha.”
The tournament earlier continued to see a spate of upsets as top seeds and last year’s bronze medallists Younousse and Tijan were by beaten by Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek in straight but extremely tight sets by 21-19, 23-21 in the quarter-finals.
Younousse and Tijan had clashed with Bryl and Fijalek here last year in the quarter-finals as well. And on that occasion, the local players were able to put it across the Poles in three sets after falling 0-1 behind.
However, the Polish, who are looking for their breakthrough title on the FIVB World Beach Tour since teaming up in February 2017, extended their winning after beating the Qatari team in the 2018 Vienna Major before going to collect one of their three runners-up finishes on the Tour.Grimalt cousins surprise second seeds Bryl, Fijalek in semi-final; Younousse, Tijan lose in quarters2019 KATARA BEACH OPEN CUP resultSSemi-finalscTypeface:> Esteban Grimalt / Marco Grimalt Chile (18, Q1) def. Michal Bryl / Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (2) 18-21, 21-14, 15-12 (0:51); Phil Dalhausser / Nick Lucena United States (17) def. Pablo Herrera / Adrian Gavira Spain (4) 21-19, 21-11 (0:33).
Quarter-Finals
Michal Bryl/Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (2) def. Cherif Samba/Ahmed Tijan Qatar (1) 21-19, 23-21 (0:41); Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt Chile (18, Q1) def. Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo Italy (8) 22-20, 18-21, 15-11 (0:45); Pablo Herrera/Adrian Gavira Spain (4) def. Nikita Liamin/Igor Velichko Russia (21) 21-10, 21-18 (0:32); Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena United States (17) def. Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak Poland (6) 21-14, 21-17 (0:37).
Saturday’s fixtures
Bronze Medal (4.45pm): Michal Bryl/Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (2) vs. Pablo Herrera / Adrian Gavira Spain (4) Gold Medal (6 pm): Esteban Grimalt/Marco Grimalt Chile (18, Q1) vs. Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena US (17).
