FIVB World Tour 2013

  • I was lucky to be a part of yesterday's men's finals at WCH in Stare Jabłonki. Ahhhh, what an effin' unbelievable experience :love:

  • World Championship in Stare Jabłonki (Poland)
    1 - 7 July


    Semifinals:
    Ricardo-Álvaro Filho BRA [10] - Alison-Emanuel BRA [2] 2-0 (21-14 22-20)
    Brouwer-Meeuwsen NED [13] - Erdmann-Matysik GER [8] 2-0 (21-13 21-17)


    Bronze medal match:
    Erdmann-Matysik GER [8] - Alison-Emanuel BRA [2] 2-0 (21-17 21-19)


    Final:
    Brouwer-Meeuwsen NED [13] - Ricardo-Álvaro Filho BRA [10] 2-0 (21-18 21-16)

    Gold medal - World League 2013 Prediction Game
    Bronze medal - World League 2012 Prediction Game

  • Gstaad Grand Slam, Gstaad, Switzerland


    9 - 14 July


    Semifinals:


    Ricardo-Alvaro Filho (BRA) - Brouwer-Meeuwsen (NED) 2-0 (21-19, 21-17)
    Gibb-Patterson (USA) - Pedro-Bruno (BRA) 0-2 (19-21, 18-21)


    Bronze medal match:


    Brouwer-Meeuwsen (NED) - Gibb-Patterson (USA) 0-2 (18-21, 18-21)


    Final:


    Ricardo-Alvaro Filho (BRA) - Pedro-Bruno (BRA) 2-0 (21-16, 21-18 )

  • The Long Beach GS looks like the most boring GS this year. Too many strong pairs are absent.

  • Letícia Pessoa, brazilian male coach, explained today her decision about Alison/Emanuel.
    In fact, she won't split up the pair, but only give to new players the opportunity to play with them. How Alison and Emanuel have no chances in the World Tour anymore she's doing that. It's only an experience. After this, the pair will play together again.
    The new pairs are Emanuel/Evandro and Alison/Vitor Felipe. Good call IMO!

  • Long Beach Grand Slam, Long Beach, USA


    22 - 27 July


    Semifinals:


    Gibb-Patterson (USA) - Dalhausser-Rosenthal (USA) 0-2 (16-21, 19-21)
    Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) - Herrera-Gavira (ESP) 1-2 (26-24, 19-21, 13-15)


    Bronze medal match:


    Gibb-Patterson (USA) - Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) 0-2 (16-21, 13-21)


    Final:


    Dalhausser-Rosenthal (USA) - Herrera-Gavira (ESP) 2-0 (21-15, 21-18 )

  • Anapa Open, Anapa, Russia


    23 - 28 July


    Semifinals:


    Semenov-Koshkarev (RUS) - Dittelbach-Koreng (GER) 2-0 (21-12, 21-14)
    Flüggen-Walkenhorst (GER) - Pastukhov-Krasilnikov (RUS) 2-0 (21-19, 21-17)


    Bronze medal match:


    Pastukhov-Krasilnikov (RUS) won on forfeit


    Final:


    Semenov-Koshkarev (RUS) - Flüggen-Walkenhorst (GER) 2-1 (25-23, 24-26, 15-13)

  • Letícia Pessoa, brazilian male coach, explained today her decision about Alison/Emanuel.
    In fact, she won't split up the pair, but only give to new players the opportunity to play with them. How Alison and Emanuel have no chances in the World Tour anymore she's doing that. It's only an experience. After this, the pair will play together again.
    The new pairs are Emanuel/Evandro and Alison/Vitor Felipe. Good call IMO!

    They have more or less, with the exception of the made up World Cup win, wasted this season, so it would be indeed a good call for both of them to try something new. They often slow and unmotivated, don't know if it's a psychological issue only.

  • Berlin Grand Slam, Berlin, Germany


    6 - 11 August


    Semifinals:


    Semenov-Krasilnikov (RUS) - Herrera-Gavira (ESP) 2-0 (21-19, 21-17)
    Tomatis-Ranghieri (ITA) - Vitor Felipe-Evandro (BRA) 0-2 (15-21, 18-21)


    Bronze medal match:


    Herrera-Gavira (ESP) - Tomatis-Ranghieri (ITA) 2-0 (21-19, 21-16)


    Final:


    Semenov-Krasilnikov (RUS) - Vitor Felipe-Evandro (BRA) 1-2 (23-21, 13-21, 10-15)

  • It's been a while since we last had a World Tour final four without a top 10 team. A great tournament for Semenov-Krasilnikov and the winners Vitor Felipe-Evandro, they showed great spiking skills. The two offensive players Semenov and Evandro are standing at 208 and 210 cm, respectively. One of the most power dominated finals in years.

  • Moscow Grand Slam, Moscow, Russia


    21 - 25 August


    Semifinals:


    Emanuel-Evandro (BRA) - Petutschnig-Horst (AUT) 2-1 (16-21, 21-17, 15-12)
    Smedins-Samoilovs (LAT) - Ricardo-Alvaro Filho (BRA) 2-0 (21-14, 21-19)


    Bronze medal match:


    Petutschnig-Horst (AUT) - Ricardo-Alvaro Filho (BRA) 0-2 (15-21, 14-21)


    Final:


    Emanuel-Evandro (BRA) - Smedins-Samoilovs (LAT) 0-2 (17-21, 16-21)

  • SAO PAULO GRAND SLAM
    Sao Paulo, Brazil


    8-13, October, 2013


    Semifinals
    Smedins, J.-Samoilovs (LAT) - Pedro-Bruno (BRA) 1-2 (15-21, 22-20, 12-15)
    Herrera-Gavira (ESP) - Dalhausser-Jennings (USA) 0-2 (18-21, 19-21)


    Bronze medal match
    Herrera-Gavira (ESP) - Smedins, J.-Samoilovs (LAT) 0-2 (14-21, 12-21)


    Gold medal match
    Dalhausser-Jennings (USA) - Pedro-Bruno (BRA) 1-2 (21-23, 21-19, 13-15)


    I didn't watch the match, but it looks like the final was pretty intense.

  • Thanks for the update support! The Chinese Grand Slam at the end of the month will most probably determine the season winner. Pedro-Bruno are closing the gap to the Latvians, but we'll see whether they will eventually make it. As for the 2013 season, many different winners, various players on the podiums, ups and downs... An interesting year, nevertheless. We'll see how it will finish.

  • Xiamen Grand Slam, Xiamen, China


    22 - 26 October


    Semifinals:


    Brouwer-Meeuwsen (NED) - Stiekema-Varenhorst (NED) 2-0 (21-18, 21-19)
    Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) - Alison-Vitor Felipe 0-2 (18-21, 17-21)


    Bronze medal match:


    Stiekema-Varenhorst (NED) - Nicolai-Lupo (ITA) 0-2 (20-22, 19-21)


    Final:


    Brouwer-Meeuwsen (NED) - Alison-Vitor Felipe (BRA) 1-2 (21-18, 15-21, 13-15)

  • Pedro Solberg and Bruno Schmidt split.
    According to Pedro Solberg, Bruno is going to play with Alison next season. Anyway, they will probably play Durban Open together. However tough, there's still a chance to win the season.
    That only can be said about the Brazilian Tour. Who takes a decision about national team pairs is the head coach.
    Pedro said they won't probably play together for the national team because of this.

  • Pedro Solberg and Bruno Schmidt split.
    According to Pedro Solberg, Bruno is going to play with Alison next season. Anyway, they will probably play Durban Open together. However tough, there's still a chance to win the season.
    That only can be said about the Brazilian Tour. Who takes a decision about national team pairs is the head coach.
    Pedro said they won't probably play together for the national team because of this.


    A decision based on what? Finding Alison a better partner? Pedro and Bruno are probably going to win the 2013 World Tour (if it is a different award compared to the overall season winner) and have been the most consistent Brazilian pair on the Tour this summer. I see the decision only in favour of Alison and no one else. Btw, do we know if Emanuel is going to play next season as well?


  • A decision based on what? Finding Alison a better partner? Pedro and Bruno are probably going to win the 2013 World Tour (if it is a different award compared to the overall season winner) and have been the most consistent Brazilian pair on the Tour this summer. I see the decision only in favour of Alison and no one else. Btw, do we know if Emanuel is going to play next season as well?


    FiVB shifted a lot of power to the federations, when it comes to starting places for the world tour and championships. It seems that the brazil federation is taking full advantage of this and has no problems to decide over the heads of the players.


    The german federation is acting a little bid different. Players have more to say, when it comes to choosing partners, coaches and sponsors. In the end, the team displays and results will decide about who is playing world tour. On one hand that seems to be a more fair approach, on the other hand german players have to act very self-initiated to create a good environment for themselves.
    We will se in future, which is the better approach towards success and medals on championships.