Beachvolleyball: Ehlers/Wickler and Müller/Tillmann Shine in Hamburg
The silver medalists from Paris, Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler, kicked off the Beachvolleyball tournament at Hamburg’s Rothenbaum with success. Additionally, the newly crowned European champions Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann impressed at the Elite-16 tournament.
For the Hamburg duo Ehlers/Wickler, the tournament started with a scare. The 2.11-meter tall blocking specialist Ehlers injured his left ankle during a defensive play in the second set against the Swiss duo Quentin Métral/Jonathan Jordan. A bandage was applied during a medical timeout. Although the local favorites lost the second set, they managed to come out on top with a 2-1 victory (21-17, 21-23, 15-9).
The decision was made to skip the second match against the Australians Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher to ensure Nils Ehlers was rested for the crucial match on Friday against Nicolas and Tomas Capogrosso from Argentina.
Müller/Tillmann Dominating Without Dropping a Set
The European champions Svenja Müller/Cinja Tillmann (Hamburg/Düsseldorf) started their tournament on a high note. They defeated the Finnish pair Niina Ahtiainen/Taru Lahti in straight sets 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) in the afternoon, followed by a dominant performance against the Puerto Rican duo Maria Gonzalez/Allanis Navas with another 2-0 win (21-13, 21-8). However, Paul Henning/Max Just (Düsseldorf/Hamburg) faced defeat in their lone match of the day against the Dutch duo Matthew Immers/Steven van de Velde with a score of 0-2 (15-21, 15-21).
Laura Ludwig Faces Tough Start in Farewell Tournament
Laura Ludwig began her international farewell tournament with two defeats. Teaming up with Louisa Lippmann, the 38-year-old first lost a close match 1-2 (25-23, 17-21, 13-15) against the Swiss pair Anouk Vergé-Dépré/Joana Mäder at the Hamburg Rothenbaum. Following this, the Germans were unable to secure a win against the Brazilian duo Agatha/Rebecca, falling short with a score of 0-2 (19-21, 20-22).
Ludwig/Lippmann now face a crucial match on Friday against the undefeated Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte from Lithuania to keep their hopes alive for advancing to the next round.
As the Beachvolleyball action unfolds at the Hamburg Rothenbaum, fans can expect more thrilling matches and fierce competition as the tournament progresses. Stay tuned for updates as the battle for victory continues on the sandy courts.
