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Gstaad, Switzerland, July 10, 2010 - The “quest” for their fifth SWATCH FIVB World Tour championship in the last six seasons for Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca received a big boost here Saturday as the Brazilians defeated Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig of Germany in two sets to win the women’s gold medal at the US$600,000 1to1 energy Grand Slam. With their 21-17 and 24-22 win in 50 minutes over the sixth-seeded Germans, the top-seeded Juliana and Larissa shared the $43,500 first-place prize while collecting another 800 points by winning their second-straight SWATCH FIVB World Tour Grand Slam title. With the Brazilians also claiming the top podium spot at last week’s Norwegian Grand Slam in Stavanger, Juliana and Larissa lead the FIVB standings with 4,460 points while Americans Jen Kessy and April Ross are 800 points behind. Goller and Ludwig are now sitting in fifth-place with 3,200 points. Saturday’s finale was delayed for nearly three hours after the match was stopped at 4-4 in the first set at 3:40 p.m. local time due to heavy rains and lightning. The gold medal match was resumed at 6:30 p.m. after both teams were granted a 15-minute warm-up period. In winning their fourth gold medal in seven SWATCH FIVB World Tour starts this season, Juliana and Larissa now have 33 international Beach Volleyball titles to their credit since forming their partnership in 2004. American Olympic and world champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh hold the SWATCH record with 35 gold medals (2001-2008) while Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos of Brazil (2002-2009) hold the men’s mark with 33 titles. The finale was Juliana and Larissa’s 50th gold medal match in 79 FIVB starts together while Goller and Ludwig are now 0-4 in championship matches with three of the setbacks to their gold medal opponent Saturday. Juliana and Larissa defeated Goller and Ludwig 21-15 and 21-19 for the gold medal in the 2010 season opening event in Brasilia this past April. Juliana and Larissa, who now hold a 6-1 edge over the Germans on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, defeat Goller and Ludwig for the first-time for a gold medal at a 2007 Portuguese stop in Espinho. Goller and Ludwig’s lone win over the Brazilians was a 21-18 and 26-24 victory in a winner’s bracket match at April’s Brasilia stop. For placing second Saturday, Goller and Ludwig split $29,500. Brazil is now 8-1 against Germany in SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal matches as the 1to1 energy Grand Slam was the 209th international event since the start of the women circuit’s in 1992. The lone German gold medal win over a Brazilian team was at a 2008 stop in France by Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau in Marseille. To reach the 1to1 energy Grand Slam finals, Juliana and Larissa scored a 23-21 and 21-16 victory in 48 minutes over third-seeded compatriots Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes. It was Juliana and Larissa’s 10th win in 13 SWATCH FIVB World Tour matches against their Brazilian rivals. The Germans posted the first semi-final win Sunday by out-lasting fourth-seeded Chen Xue and Xi Zhang of China 29-31, 21-15 and 15-12 in 78 minutes. It was the first meeting between the two teams since the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games when the Chinese defeated Goller and Ludwig in pool play. The Germans have now won four of six meetings with Xue and Zhang. In the bronze medal match, Xue and Zhang scored their third win in four meetings with Antonelli and Talita by posting a 21-17, 17-21 and 15-13 in 62 minutes over the Brazilians. The Chinese shared $23,500 for third-place with Antonelli and Talita, the 2009 1to1 energy Grand Slam gold medal winners, splitting $18,400. |
