Swatch-FIVB World Tour 2012

Brasilia Open, Brasilia, Brazil

17 - 22 April

Semifinals:

Herrera-Gavira (ESP) - Fuerbringer-Lucena (USA) 1-2 (21-13, 18-21, 13-15) Full match
Ricardo-Cunha (BRA) - Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) 1-2 (26-24, 13-21, 10-15) Full match

Bronze medal match:

Herrera-Gavira (ESP) - Ricardo-Cunha (BRA) 0-2 (18-21, 14-21) Full match

Final:

Fuerbringer-Lucena (USA) - Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) 0-2 (17-21, 18-21) Full match

Silesia Open, Myslowice, Poland

24 - 29 April

Semifinals:

Ricardo-Cunha (BRA) - Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) 2-1 (21-16, 20-22, 19-17)
Marcio-Pedro (BRA) - Herrera-Gavira (ESP) 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-10)

Bronze medal match:

Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) - Herrera-Gavira (ESP) 0-2 (16-21, 11-21)

Final:

Ricardo-Cunha (BRA) - Marcio-Pedro (BRA) 2-1 (21-8, 19-21, 15-13)

Shanghai Grand Slam, Shanghai, China

01 - 06 May

Semifinals:

Marcio-Pedro (BRA) - Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) 0-2 (17-21, 15-21)
Benjamin-Bruno (BRA) - Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) on forfeit, injury for the Brazilians

Bronze medal match:

Marcio-Pedro (BRA) - Benjamin-Bruno (BRA) 2-1 (16-21, 21-15, 15-13)

Final:

Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) - Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) 1-2 (19-21, 24-22, 11-15)

Quote from Diesse14

if I'm not mistaken Nicolai-Lupo are in semifinal (after they've eliminated Rogers-Dalhausser in the first round ) against Alison-Emanuel!! great job
the other semifinal is Nummerdor-Schuil against Gibb-Rosenthal...

True story!

Beijing Grand Slam, Beijing, China

08 - 13 May

Semifinals:

Emanuel-Alison (BRA) - Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) 0-2 (16-21, 13-21)
Nummerdor-Schuil (NED) - Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) 2-0 (22-20, 21-19)

Bronze medal match:

Emanuel-Alison (BRA) - Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-16)

Final:

Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) - Nummerdor-Schuil (NED) 0-2 (11-21, 16-21)

World Tour Ranking - Men | as of May 14 2012

1 Gibb-Rosenthal USA 4 1.880 63.000
2 Fuerbringer-Lucena USA 4 1.800 55.000
3 Pedro-Marcio Araujo BRA 4 1.740 58.000
4 Ricardo-Cunha BRA 4 1.720 61.000
5 Nicolai-Lupo ITA 4 1.580 51.500
6 Rogers-Dalhausser USA 3 1.560 78.600
7 Herrera-Gavira ESP 4 1.540 44.500
8 Alison-Emanuel BRA 3 1.420 43.800
9 Nummerdor-Schuil NED 31.320 57.700
10 Boersma E.-Spijkers NED 4 1.200 32.000
11 Erdmann-Matysik GER 3 1.160 30.300
12 Samoilovs-Sorokins LAT 4 1.040 28.700
13 Xu-Wu CHN 4 940 24.000
14 Benjamin-Bruno BRA 2 880 26.400
15 Dollinger-Windscheif GER 4 850 20.250
16 Lochhead-Pitman NZL 4 720 16.800
17 Plavins-Smedins, J. LAT 3 660 17.350
--- Skarlund-Spinnangr NOR 3 660 17.350
19 Heyer-Chevallier SUI 3 600 15.900
20 Zhou-Li CHN 4 528 13.100

Patria Direct Open, Prague, Czech Republic

22 - 27 May

Semifinals:

Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) - Ricardo-Cunha (BRA) 0-2 (17-21, 19-21)
Marcio-Pedro (BRA) - Emanuel-Alison (BRA) 1-2 (14-21, 22-20, 12-15)

Bronze medal match:

Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) - Marcio-Pedro (BRA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-19)

Final:

Ricardo-Cunha (BRA) - Emanuel-Alison (BRA) 2-1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-10)

There are only two more events valid for the Olympic visas ranking - the Grand Slams in Moscow and Rome. Some additional quotas will be distributed in the Continental Beach Volley Cups as well. The countdown to London has begun.

I watched both medal games yesterday. It was surprising how easy the victories were achieved. With the exception of the first set in the bronze medal match, both games were quite one-sided. I have never seen Emanuel-Alison have so much trouble with the reception, the float serve by the Americans often caused problems. The great defence by Gibb-Rosenthal led to a decent number of counter attacks, which they converted successfully and thus affected the final score. A really great performance by the yankees, one of the most convincing finals ever! Emanuel-Alison are still away from their 2011 shape, it will be an important month for them, but the two consecutive Grand Slam finals are a good sign.

1to1 Energy Grand Slam, Gstaad, Switzerland

3 - 8 July

Semifinals:

Emanuel-Alison (BRA) - Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) 2-0 (21-12, 21-13)
Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) - Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) 2-0 (21-10, 21-18 )

Bronze medal match:

Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) - Dalhausser-Rogers (USA) 2-0 (21-19, 21-18 )

Final:

Emanuel-Alison (BRA) - Gibb-Rosenthal USA 0-2 (17-21, 17-21)

smart Grand Slam, Berlin, Germany

10 - 14 July

Semifinals:

Emanuel-Alison (BRA) - Nummerdor-Schuil (NED) 2-0 (21-17, 21-18 )
Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) - Fijalek-Prudel (POL) 2-0 (21-18, 21-14)

Bronze medal match:

Nummerdor-Schuil (NED) - Fijalek-Prudel (POL) 0-2 (18-21, 19-21)

Final:

Emanuel-Alison (BRA) -Gibb-Rosenthal (USA) 2-1 (21-17, 15-21, 15-11)

I don't know if you guys followed the last couple of weeks, but the games that are on right now, just weeks before London, are pure awesomeness! A new emerging world-class team (Gibb-Rosenthal) was unstoppable before last weekend in Berlin. Finally Emanuel-Alison got their revenge for the previous two consecutive lost finals against them and took the Grand Slam in Germany. This week the Tour moves to one of the milestones on the map - Klagenfurt in Austria. Emanuel-Alison won't be there, they headed back home already for some last tuning, but with the Olympics knocking on the door beach volleyball is going to be one of the hottest disciplines in the UK.