The Hague Grand Slam 2013/ “Golden Ladies” Talita Antunes & Taiana Lima, silver sisters Salgado/ "Quinte posto" Cicolari & Menegatti


17/06/2013

Ottimo rientro nel ‘circuito’ del Beach Volley World Tour 2013 per le azzurre Greta Cicolari & Marta Menegatti. Ottimo “quinto posto” e la ritrovata sicurezza di essere pronto per salire sul podio …prossimamente su questi schermi.
Fermo restando il dominio delle beachers brasiliane come da titoli e sottotitoli, ecco tutto quanto è successo nel Grand Slam di Le Hague/Nederland, cioè sulla sabbia de L’Aia la capitale dell’Olanda, come da certificazioni ufficiali italiane della Federvolley per tutto quanto è successo fino ai “quarti” ( dove Marta & Greta si sono fermate , ma con qualche rimpianto) e come da certificazioni ufficiali internazionali by www.fivb.org per quanto riguarda le semifinali e finali che hanno sancito tutti i nomi delle medagliate ( e medagliati) in festa sul podio olandese.

ANTEPRIMA NEWS ( by federvolley.it , 10-06-2013 ) / AL VIA IL GRAND SLAM DE L’AIA

Tutto pronto a L'Aia per il Grand Slam che precede lo smart Grand Slam di Roma (Foro Italico 18-23 giugno). Tre le coppie azzurre che parteciperanno al torneo in Olanda. Le prime a scendere in campo domani, nelle qualificazioni femminili, saranno Daniela Gioria e Laura Giombini. Mercoledi' nei tabelloni principali ci saranno Greta Cicolari, Marta Menegatti, Daniele Lupo e Paolo Nicolai.

 
PRIMA NEWS ( by www.federvolley.it  , 12-06-2013 ) / BEACH VOLLEY GRAND SLAM L’AIA: BENE NICOLAI – LUPO E CICOLARI-MENEGATTI
Nel Grand Slam de L'Aia debutto con vittoria per gli azzurri Nicolai-Lupo che hanno superato i lettoni Plavins-Peda 2-0 (21-19, 21-14). Sul fronte femminile doppio successo a firma di Cicolari-Menegatti che prima hanno sconfitto le ceche Missottenova-Skalnikova 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) e poi la coppia slovacca Dubovcova-Nestarcova 2-1 (21-19, 14-21, 15-12). Chiudono, invece, la loro giornata con due ko Gioria-Giombini che dopo aver ceduto alle forti olandesi Meppelink-van Gestel 2-1 (25-27, 21-15, 15-6), si sono arrese anche alle svizzere Zumkehr-Heidrich 2-0 (21-18, 21-13).

SECONDA NEWS ( by www.federvolley, 13-06-2013 ) / CICOLARI –MENEGATTI IMBATTUTE
Ancora buone notizie dalla sabbia olandese: le azzurre Cicolari e Menegatti hanno battuto le austriache Schweiger-Schweiger 2-1 (21-12, 17-21, 15-11) ed hanno vinto la loro pool a punteggio pieno (3 vittorie in 3 incontri). Questo risultato permette loro di entrare domani nel tabellone ad eliminazione direttamente al secondo turno. Niente da fare, invece, per la coppia Gioria-Giombini che nonostante la bella vittoria contro  le ceche Bonnerova-Hermannova 2-1 (12-21, 21-19, 15-7), hanno chiuso all’ultimo posto la pool. Sul fronte maschile Nicolai-Lupo si sono qualificati alla fase ad eliminazione diretta, battendo prima i canadesi Saxton-Schalk 2-1 (21-15, 17-21, 16-14), per poi cedere agli statunitensi Gibb-Patterson 2-1 (19-21, 21-13, 15-8). 

TERZA NEWS ( by www.federvolley.it , 14-06-2013 ) / CICOLARI – MENEGATTI NEI QUARTI DI FINALE
Prosegue la marcia delle azzurre Greta Cicolari e Marta Menegatti nel Grand Slam de L'Aia. Dopo aver vinto la loro pool iniziale, le ragazze guidate da Lissandro hanno superato in scioltezza gli ottavi travolgendo (21-13 21-8) le olandesi Sinnema-Stiekema, in una gara a senso unico. Nei quarti di finale la coppia italiana giochera' domani contro un'altra formazione olandese Van der Vlist-Wesselink, che un po' a sorpresa ha avuto la meglio su Ludwig-Walkenhorst (Ger). Si e' fermata invece al primo turno dell'eliminazione diretta la partecipazione della coppia maschile Nicolai-Lupo. Gli azzurri sono stati battuti 2-1 (22-20 20-22 15-11) dai fuoriclasse brasiliani Alison-Emanuel, in una sfida molto combattuta, equilibratissima per due set.



QUARTA NEWS ( by www.federvolley.it , 15-06-2013 ) BEACH GRAND SLAM DE L’AIA: QUINTO POSTO PER CICOLARI – MENEGATTI
Nel Grand Slam De L'Aia si e' chiuso con un quinto posto il cammino delle azzurre Greta Cicolari e Marta Menegatti, che nei quarti di finale sono state piegate dalle olandesi Van der Vlist-Wesselink 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 15-10), al termine di una gara combattuta. Dalla prossima settimana il circuito del World Tour si sposta in Italia per lo smart Grand Slam di Roma che come ormai da tradizione si svolgera' nel suggestivo scenario del Foro Italico (18-23 giugno


QUINTA NEWS ( www.fivb.org ) / FIRST SEMIFINAL EVER FOR DUTCH VAN DER VLIST & WESSELINK
(  First semifinal for Dutch Marloes Wesselink and Jantine van der Vlist )

<< The Hague, the Netherlands, June 15, 2013 – Jantine van der Vlist and Marloes Wesselink claimed their first ever semifinal on the World Tour on Saturday. The Dutch team defeated fourth seeded Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti from Italy in three sets (21-13 18-21 15-10) at the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam.
 
Van der Vlist and Wesselink, who started the season as a ‘test case team’, but must have proven themselves by now, face Brazil’s Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima at 8 pm. In the other semifinal Brazil’s Maria Clara and Carolina Salgado take on Germany’s Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler.
 
Wind makes all teams equal

All quarterfinal teams had to face a strong, gusty wind. Wesselink: “The wind kind of makes all teams equal. The team that deals with the wind best, wins. Rank does not count anymore.” Italy’s Cicolari and Menegatti needed a set to adjust. They lost the first but came back in the second. In the tiebreak the teams were even till 6-6, after that Italy just made a few more errors than the Dutch.
 
“They started serving better in the second”, Wesselink said. “We kind of got nervous at the idea that we would be in the final four for the first time. But we just focussed on keeping the ball off the ground. In this weather it’s just work hard and don’t think.”

 
They played their next opponents Talita and Lima a few weeks ago in Argentina. “We lost, but it was close.” Talita has a good track record in The Hague, she won silver in 2009, gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011. The Brazilian team were trailing in the first set of their quarterfinal against Sanne Keizer and Marleen van Iersel, but came back and took the first set 21-18. In the second they overpowered the Dutch team 21-10.
 
Third semifinal in a row for Maria Clara and Carol

Qualifiers Maria Clara and Carolina Salgado reached their third Grand Slam semifinal in a row this year. The Brazilian sisters defeated Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandez in two sets (21-16 21-18). In Shanghai and Corrientes the recently reunited Maria Clara and Carol ended up with bronze.
 
In The Hague they play Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler for a spot in the final. The German team eliminated Brazil’s Maria Antonelli and Agatha Bednarzcuk 21-16 21-17. The two semifinal opponents met before in the pool phase in The Hague, with Maria Clara and Carol on the winning side>>

SESTA NEWS ( by www.fivb.org )/ ALL – BRAZILIAN WOMEN’S FINAL IN “THE HAGUE”: SECOND 2013 FINAL FOR TAIANA LIMA AND TALITA ANTUNES/

<< The Hague, the Netherlands, June 15, 2013 – The Transavia The Hague Grand Slam, the first ever Grand Slam in the Netherlands, will have an all-Brazilian women’s final on Sunday. Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima take on Maria Clara and Carolina Salgado on centre court at the Scheveningen beach at 3 pm.
 
The Salgado sisters reached their first ever Grand Slam final by defeating Germany’s Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler in three sets (21-12 13-21 15-13). After one set each, it got down to business in the tiebreak. It could have gone either way, until the Brazilians took the lead at 12-12 with a lucky serve and finished the game at their second match point.
 
Long time partners Maria Clara and Carol came back strong this season after Carol gave birth to a baby boy last year. They won bronze in Shanghai and Corrientes and this time they hoped for more. “After two bronze medals we really wanted to play in the final”, Maria Clara said after their semi-final. “Today it could have gone either way, and we were very lucky with Carol’s serve at the end.”
 
Whole different ball game

Their opponents in the final, Talita and Lima, had a much easier match against the Dutch team Jantine van der Vlist and Marloes Wesselink. The Dutch, in their first ever semifinal, were no match for Brazil: 21-14 21-13. “I think we controlled the ball better than the other team”, Talita said. “In this wind you really need a quick ball. It’s totally different volleyball in these conditions.”

 
After first place in Shanghai and ninth in Corrientes Talita and Lima aim for gold again. Talita won medals in all previous Open events in The Hague. With Maria Antonelli she took the silver in 2009, gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011.
 
She looks forward to play Brazil in the final. “At least we will have a Brazilian champion again.” In 2011 Brazil’s Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta won the event after defeating USA’s Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Both teams retired this season.>>

SETTIMA & LAST NEWS ( by www.fivb.org) / BRAZIL CLAIMS TWO GOLDEN MEDALS IN THE HAGUE: Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima (women) and Pedro Solberg and Bruno Oscar Schmidt ( men)

<<The Hague, the Netherlands, June 16, 2013 – Brazil added two more gold and one silver medal to its already impressive honour list this weekend.

In the all-Brazilian women’s final of the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima defeated Maria Clara and Carolina Salgado.
 
In the men’s final there was another success for the Salgado family as Pedro Salgado Solberg and his new partner Bruno Oscar Schmidt overpowered Corrientes champions Janis Smedins and Aleksandrs Samoilovs to claim their first team gold.
 
Germany’s Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler and Poland’s Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel won the bronze medals at the first Grand Slam ever staged in The Hague.

 
Brazil’s Pedro and Bruno beat Corrientes champions to claim Dutch gold

Brazil’s Pedro Solberg and Bruno Oscar Schmidt defeated Corrientes champions Janis Smedins and Aleksandrs Samoilovs to win their first team gold on Sunday at the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam. For Bruno it was his second final in The Hague, in 2010 he won silver with Benjamin Insfran. More

Four out of four for Brazil’s Talita in The Hague

In an all-Brazilian final Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima claimed their second gold medal this season. The Shanghai champions defeated Maria Clara and Carolina Salgado in two sets (21-16 21-13) at the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam. More

Poland’s Fijalek and Prudel take bronze in The Hague

Poland’s Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel defeated Austrian qualifiers Alexander Huber and Robin Seidl on Sunday in two sets (21-18 21-16) to win the bronze medal at the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam. It is their first medal since Berlin last July, where they claimed bronze as well. More

Holtwick and Semmler claim first German medal in The Hague

Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler claimed the first medal for Germany in four World Tour events in the Netherlands. The German team won the bronze medal match against Dutch Jantine van der Vlist and Marloes Wesslink at the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam. More

The Hague hosted a Grand Slam for the first time after Open events in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the European Championships in 2012. Next year there will be another Grand Slam in the Dutch city, a ‘dress-rehearsal’ for the World Championships in 2015, which will be staged in four cities in the Netherlands.
 
The FIVB World Tour continues in Rome next week, the penultimate Grand Slam before the World Championships in Stare Jablonki, Poland, from July 1-7.>>

EXTRATIME by SS/ La cover è per “ The 2013 Transavia The Hague Grand Slam podium and officials” , vale a dire la  doppia coppia winners Made in Brazil: Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima (women) and Pedro Solberg and Bruno Oscar Schmidt ( men).

Tutto questo come da certificazioni by sito www.fivb.org di cui vi proponiamo in partenza di fotogallery il relativo hilits sul podio poster by home pageche recita “Brazil claims two gold medals in The Hague”.
A seguire alcuni flash sulle italiane, con Marta Menegatti in due immagini alla battuta, poi la coppia azzurra impegnata in due azioni/bagger sulla sabbia olandese.
A seguire, in maglia aragosta, la coppia olandese che ha eliminato le nostre azzurre/italiane.
Poi , sempre by sito www.fivb.org, entriamo in zona finale, proponendo un tuffo brasiliano  che fa da fondo alla significativa dicitura “Three Brazilan teams  in The Hague Grand Slam finals”.
Preludio alla foto delle Salgado ‘sorelle d’argento’ e alla coppia d’oro formata da Taiana Lima sun glasses & Talita Antunes.
Tutte coppie che ritroviamo in foto poster finale dedicata al podio ‘completo’ uomini e donne by Le Hague 2013 Gran Slam olandese insieme ai già citati ‘officials’ del torneo.


Sergio Sottovia
www.polesinesport.it