English twins Joaquin and Javier Bello struggled but found themselves on track in the deciding set to rally past their Italian counterparts- Samuelle Cottafava and Gianluca Dal Corso – for a semifinal slot in Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge on Saturday night.
The last year’s BPT Elite 16 tournament champion bested Cottafava and Dal Corso, 23-21, 25-21, 15-11, in the quarterfinal after defeating Belgians Kyan Vercauteren and Joppe Van Langendonck, 14-21, 21-19, 19-17, at round of 16 at the Nuvali Sands Courts by Ayala Land in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
‘It was an exhausting match in the morning and then tonight, but we are grateful to our Filipino fans. We must give our best in the semifinal before thinking of anything else,’ Javier Bello said. ‘We must be ready all the time.’
Spain’s Alejandro Huerta and Adrian Gavira bested Italy’s Enrico Rossi and Marco Viscovich, 21-16, 21-17, for a semifinal spot while Austrian Christoph Dressler and Philip Waller beat Czech Tadeas Trousil and Jiri Sedlak, 21-18, 21-18, for a semifinal berth.
Italy’s another pair Manuel Alfieri and Alex Ranghieri trounced Indonesia Akbar Bintang and Sofyan Rachman Efendi, 17-21, 21-16, 15-12, to also barge to the semifinal round.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Stefanie Fejes and Jasmine Fleming blasted Japanese Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto, 16-21, 21-18, 15-5, in the quarterfinal after taking down American Devonne Sours and Madison Shields, 19-21, 21-19, 15-11, in Round of 16.
They battle Lithuania’s Leva Dumbauskaite and Gerda Grudzinskaite in the semifinal. They crushed New Zealand’s Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald, 21-14, 17-21, 16-14, in the quarterfinal after bashing Aussies Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic, 21-16, 21-16.
Finnish Anniina Parkkinen and Valma Prihti toppled Switzerland’s Annique Niederhauser and Menia Bentele, 21-14, 21-17, in the quarterfinal to set up a semifinal showdown against Czechia’s Kylie Neuschaeferova and Martina Maixnerova.
Kylie and Maixnerova beat Brazil’s Thainara Oliveira and Talita Simonetti, 21-19, 21-16, in the round of 16 before whipping Estonia’s Heleene Hollas and Liisa Remmelg, 21-11,21-15, in the quarterfinal to claim their semifinal ticket.