Seoul, Korea, May 30, 2010 - Culminating a week-long celebration of women’s international Beach Volleyball Sunday on the sands of Seoul, Brazil won the gold medal and two teams from the United States captured both the silver and bronze medals to conclude the US$190,000 Crown Seoul Open, Round 4 of the 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour, which was held at the Han River Jamsil Citizen Park courts.
In Sunday’s Seoul finale, the Brazilians played with few errors and great physical plays in the first set and then maintained their consistency in the second set enough to kept the charging Americans at bay to pull off the two-set victory. Juliana and Larissa, who were undefeated in the tournament with six straight wins, will share the $30,000 first-place prizes while Akers and Turner, winning their third FIVB career medal and second silver in 15 tournaments together, finished with a 5-2 record in Seoul, will split a $21,000 purse in addition to their silver medals. “We haven’t played well here in Seoul and we had a disappointing tournament in Rome, so we were even hungrier to do well in this tournament,” said Juliana following the post gold-medal match awards ceremony. “We work very hard and we don’t like to lose and to win somewhere where you’ve never won before makes our 31st FIVB gold medal even more special. Larissa played especially well today and the entire tournament for that matter. It is a long season and we still have a lot more challenges to face before this year’s champion will be crowned in November.” With the victory, Juliana and Larissa now have a career 410-77 match record, including a 21-3 total for this season. In the bronze medal match on the Seoul sand along the picturesque Han River, just prior to the championship finale, Brazil’s second-seeded April Ross and Jennifer Kessy of the United States, came from behind to defeat Brazil’s Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes, 15-21, 22-20 and 15-8 in a 53-minute medal match. It was a rematch of last year’s gold medal match won by the Brazilians, who also defeated the Americans this year in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals on Friday. Ross and Kessy have now tied the FIVB series history between the two teams at 4-4. With the gold medal, Brazil narrowed the victory gap against the United States. The USA still leads gold medal matchups with Brazil, 45-35. In total SWATCH FIVB World Tour medals and final four placements, Brazil leads with 288-197 in total medals and 353-252 in final four placements. In gold medals, Brazil also leads the USA after this event, 106-83. For winning the bronze medal, Ross and Kessy, who now have two gold medals, one bronze and one fourth place finish this year on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour and who had a 5-2 record in the tournament, will split the $15,000 third place prize while Antonelli and Talita, who now have two thirds, one fourth and one 17th this season and who also had a 5-2 record in the tournament, earned a split of $11,200 for their fourth place placement. After losing the first set, and winning a close second, the Americans jumped out to leads of 7-1 and 11-3 in the deciding third set with precision serving and few mistakes. Since October of 2008, the Americans Ross and Kessy have played for a medal in 16 of their 19 FIVB events (including Seoul), winning seven gold medals, five silvers and three bronzes in that span (along with one fourth and three other finishes). The Brazilians have 14 career final four placements in 19 career FIVB events.
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