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2016-05-25 11:40:00 CET

Main draw action gets under way in Moscow on Wednesday

Main draw action gets under way in Moscow on Wednesday

He won gold on Sunday but on Tuesday Saymon Barbosa and teammate Gustavo Carvalhaes were already out of the Moscow Grand Slam. Photo credit: FIVBHe won gold on Sunday but on Tuesday Saymon Barbosa and teammate Gustavo Carvalhaes were already out of the Moscow Grand Slam. Photo credit: FIVB

You’ve just won your first World Tour event and hot-footed it 18 hours to play the next one – but then lose in second round of qualification. Welcome to the ruthless world of beach volleyball!

That roller coaster of emotion was etched over the faces of young Brazilian duo Saymon Barbosa and Gustavo Carvalhaes on Tuesday following their defeat to Latvian pair Martin Plavins and Haralds Regza – just days after they had clinched gold at the Cincinnati Open.

Given that Plavins won bronze at the Olympics at London four years ago, it underlines the depth of competition at this week’s Moscow Grand Slam, the second big event on this season’s FIVB World Tour calendar.

But the battle has only just begun. The rivalry is about to sky-rocket even further as the tournament enters its exciting main draw stage on Wednesday and boy there are some mouthwatering match-ups in the pool play.

Take a look at Pool D for example: Pedro Solberg/Evandro go head-to-head with Italy’s Nicolai/Lupo and Mexico’s Virgen and Ontiveros. Good luck calling that.

Or how about Pool F – or, what we’re calling it, the Group of Death, which includes, Bourne/Hyden, Krou/Rowlandson and Plavins/Regza.

Big games and names right here, so keep your eyes peeled on those games, won’t you?

As far as the women’s qualification is concerned there were no such worries for highly-rated Brazilian pair Elize Maia and 17-year-old wunderkind Duda as they made it through to the main draw with ease.

Having stormed to victory in the Under-21 championships in Lucerne two weeks ago, Duda now is eyeing senior success and you wouldn’t bet against it. And you will not want to take your eyes off Pool C as the Brazilians have been drawn alongside Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross and Switzerland’s Forrer/Vergé-Dépré. We’ll have a ticket to watch all of them clashes, thank you very much.

Swiss hopes Forrer/Vergé-Dépré face a stern test in Pool C at the Moscow Grand Slam this week. Photo credit: Andreas LangreiterSwiss hopes Forrer/Vergé-Dépré face a stern test in Pool C at the Moscow Grand Slam this week. Photo credit: Andreas Langreiter

Pool D is another must watch as Germans Ludwig/Walkenhorst go toe-to-toe with Liliana/Elsa and Gallay/Klug.

How’s that for a line-up? It’s certainly putting the grand into Grand Slam!

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