My exercise in blatant sexism continues 😛 This title’s a little nonsensical, as it’s only the third day of the tournament main draw for the women. But I’m going with the numbering as I had it, considering qualification play to in essence be “Day Zero” Earlier in the day, sandwiched between the men’s sessions came
Meppelink/Van Gestel vs. Keizer/Van Iersel
The organisers did a great job of picking the exact matches I wanted to see and putting them on….the court without a camera today. Ugh. The women’s session started with a China/China match, which you’ll notice I didn’t even try to write up. This one’s only about 4 percent more interesting to me, but I couldn’t sit out two in a row. So here goes.
As if conspiring against my ability to take interest in the match, the first few sets of points were dead even — 4-3, 7-all, and then 11-10 at the halfway mark. Not much of a foothold you can take from that. It wasn’t strictly sideout after sideout, but it could as well have been. Keizer and Van Iersel began to edge ahead after the halfway-home timeout, taking two on serve to go up 13-11. Meppelink and Van Gestel had the chance to tie it again at 14’s before the side switch, fielding a soft hit from the other side and running their own offence ‘in-system’ but they could not beat the block.
The higher-seeded Keizer and Van Iersel went ahead three for the first time at 17-14, but their compatriots closed the gap. The equaliser came on a weird rally where the ball looked to hit both players at the net before it went well long. The second-seeds took two in a row out of the timeout, but Meppelink and Van Gestel again had the equaliser, this time an ace. After a couple of sideouts, Meppelink and Van Gestel got two in a row again to take the first set 22-20.
Meppelink and Van Gestel seized control early in set 2, forcing a timeout from their compatriots at 8-4, and the margin holding to the side switch two points later. It was sideout after sideout to the midpoint with Meppelink and Van Gestel ahead five with serve. They broke it open with three straight on serve after the midpoint side change, and their lead actually got as big as ten at 19-9. The second set final was 21-14.
Holtwick/Semmler vs. Ross/Kessy
After a classy awards ceremony for three fine men’s teams taking home some hardware, it was on to the women’s quarterfinals. I was thrilled that at this point, they shined a light on court 2 and posted that court’s camera. I found this match to be far more compelling than the China/Brazil match going on on centre court, just like these two teams’ matches earlier in the day.
The Germans held the slender lead early, at scores like 3-1 and 4-2, but the Americans got it back even again after 10 points. After it was even again at 6, the Germans rattled off three quick points to take the lead at the side change. There were audibly some American fans on hand, with cheers for Jen Kessy as she rotated back to serve down 10-8. Her first serve befuddled the German reception to the point that their hit attempt didn’t clear the net, and the next also wound up with a point for the Americans to tie it again at 10.
The set continued to be very tight, with the Germans not able to extend past a 2 point lead, and Ross finding the right timing to reject Holtwick on 13-12 and draw even once more. Kessy and Ross rebounded from a less than clean service reception on 14-13 to keep it even after four side changes, with Kessy’s set as she fell face-first to the sand pretty well right on the money. My connection blinked out for a moment, and as I came back it was 16-14 Germany with Ross protesting something. She then had a game ball tossed to her, which she tossed in the air as if about to serve, and then she threw it to the down referee. Weird sequence of events. Serve reception then came up lacking again on 16-14, as the Germans found the sand for an ace, prompting the Americans to call time. It was bad luck for the Americans on the first ball back, as the “over-dig” for the Germans found the sand behind them. Kessy’s serve on 19-15 found nothing but net, and a rally later a minor meltdown was complete with Holtwick’s kill ending it 21-15.
It was 4-3 USA at the side change in set 2. On 3-2, Holtwick looked to play a ball that was bound to land out, but she got the point anyway on her return volley. It was even at the 14-point side change, but Germany took the lead there. Semmler’s big block led to the first 2-point difference of the set, at 9-7 in her team’s favour. It was still pretty even at the midpoint, with Holtwick and Semmler ahead by “one and a half,” up 11-10 with reception coming up. Sideout after sideout it remained, until Semmler just utterly rejected Ross’ hit on 14-12 to put Germany up three at 15-12. Serving at 16-14, Ross finally came up with an ace to bring the Americans back within a point. I say ‘finally’ because serving is one of her biggest weapons, most of the time, but it didn’t really factor much in the match to that point. Following a few sideouts, another Ross ace made the set even at 18’s, prompting Germany’s timeout.
The Germans got their sideout after the timeout — always key! Then 19-18 was a rally either side could have won, with the ball passing over the net several times. Ross eventually slammed it home for the Americans to keep their hopes alive. Next on Jen’s serve the Americans reached their first set point at 20-19, but the Germans saved it. The Germans then got their first match point with a close hit to the right side ruled in. There were no replays on this court, so I couldn’t say whether the call was right. Real-time, it was pretty close. What wasn’t close, though, was Holtwick’s attempt at match point on 21-20, as it sailed way long, bringing us to a sixth side change. On the first point after, Kessy got a great block to bring the Americans back to set point at 22-21. They had two shots to put it away on that rally, but Kessy’s terminating swing went right into the net. Then Semmler’s serve on 22-all didn’t even come close to clearing the net, giving the Americans another attempt at set point. Semmler redeemed her horrid serve by finding the sand with a kill on this rally, to make it 23-all. Upon their next set point at 24-23, Kessy finally ended it with a kill of her own to send it to the race to 15.
It was an even split through 10 points and two side changes in the decider. The Germans took two at that point, with Ross correctly hitting line (no one there) but the ball landing wide to give the Germans their point. On the next rally, Kessy was dug, leading to an easy opportunity for Holtwick, which she did not waste. The Americans called time trailing 8-5. The margin held steady to the third side change at 9-6, though Kessy nearly had an ace that would have drawn the Americans within a point.
9-7 featured another close in/out call, this one on the American side for the German hit. The Americans let it go crying “Out!” but it was ruled in. Again, it was pretty well too close to say conclusively. Replay would have been nice. The margin held steady to 11-9 and the Americans serving after four switches. First rally after that switch went long, with both sides coming up with digs. Eventually, Ross found the sand in the back-right corner of the court for the kill, drawing the Americans back within one. That one-point margin held up to the fifth change, with the Germans ahead 13-12. The Germans got their first match point at 14-12 as Kessy just couldn’t quite get to a ball on second contact that April had dug. The German serve on 14-12 flew long, and that one I thought was in. I’d be a horrible flagger 😛 But the German team converted match point on reception to send the Olympic silver medallists home.
Cicolari/Menegatti vs. Liliana/Baquerizo
As I should have guessed, easily, the match from the second and final slate of quarterfinals in which I was more interested was also on court number 2. I’m thankful for that camera.
Typically, you associate blue with Italy, but in this match it was the Spaniards who wore the blue uniform tops. Italy were in green, which, I guess that’s a flag colour of theirs (No, I can’t accept the fact that these colours are completely arbitrary and mean nothing. But thank you for asking :)).
The green-clad Italians led by ‘one and a half’ at the first side change, though they had a shot to win the rally ending 4-3. They got the sideout after the switch and kept up the pressure, with Menegatti at the net forcing the Spaniards’ hands. Their lead extended to 7-3 before the Spanish finally sided out. The margin held steady to 9-5 at the second side switch, and to the third at 12-9 with the Italians to receive. A while later, the Spanish broke a very long string of sideouts by at last taking one on serve to make it a 2-point set at 17-15, prompting Italy’s timeout. They got another on serve after the timeout to close to a single point. Cicolari came up with a huge out-of-system block on the next rally to keep it from coming even again, but the Spaniards knotted it at 18’s on serve a few rallies later. They could not surge into the lead, a left-side hitting attempt flying long, and that may have been a big missed opportunity. A service ace for Cicolari made it set point Italy, and with Spain only able to side out (and not take the point on serve), set 1 went to the Italians.
The Italians took the first point on serve in set 2, on the first ball after the side change. Cicolari’s service ace put them up 5-3. It was one of those serves that argues against the let rule, because there was nothing Spain could have done to field it. The Spaniards got their point back on 6-5 to tie it at 6’s, though my connection blinked out and I missed just how it went down. The score was tied at the second switch, and the Italians edged ahead at the midpoint, leading 11-10 with reception coming up.
The Spanish team took a few on serve to take a 14-13 lead, their first advantage of the set, prompting the Italians to call time one point before the side switch. Both teams celebrated winning rallies pretty loudly. You could tell the match was of great significance to both of them (as well it should be, of course), and that’s always great to see. Leading 17-15, Liliana (I think) came up with an ace to give her side a three-point edge, and roared with delight. The next serve wasn’t legally returned either, thought it was one of those where it’s awkward to call it an ace (the Italians did get multiple contacts). On 19-15, Baquerizo (again, I think) came up with a block to make it set point Spain. The server (whichever of them it was) went back to the same service line, despite 20-15 being a side change. You can’t blame her for wanting to stay in the groove, but the groove went on on the other side of the net too as another ace made it 21-15.
The Spaniards kept roaring, as they went up two for the first time in the decider at 3-1. They expanded to 4-1 at the side change, and when the Italians sided out, they weren’t themselves screaming like they were when they won points in set 1. The Italians called time staring at a 6-2 deficit, but they got the sideout and then one on serve to make it 6-4 at the second side change. A service ace for Menegatti brought the Italians back to within 7-6, and the demonstrativeness resumed. Things got even louder with Cicolari’s block to make it 7-all, and the Spaniards called timeout. The Spanish team came up with four straight out of the timeout to go back ahead 11-7. The last two were especially emphatic blocks, leading someone to shout out “Mamma mia!” Seems like that should be a cheer for the Italians. They finally sided out on 11-8, with a touch/no touch call where the up ref overruled the flagger. They got one more in advance of the side change to make it 11-9.
Then came kind of a weird turn of events, as the Spanish team celebrated winning a point, only to run to the up ref’s stand as if to protest something and shout in English “Come on!” But the point still went to them, so I’m not sure what happened. With both sides screaming each time they won a point, ears could not be trusted to tell who was winning. The Spanish reached match point on 14-11 despite playing a ball that looked to be out. They came up with the block a few volleys later. The Italians saved the first match point on reception, but faced the task of taking two on serve to keep their tournament alive. The rally was progressing well, with Cicolari able to keep a wayward ball alive and simultaneously make a nice, high set, but Menegatti’s hit flew long to advance the Spanish team to the semifinals.
Day Four results
Knockout round 2
Xue/Zhang Xi d. Wang Fan/Ding Jingjing (21-15, 21-12)
Lili/Seixas d. Talita/Taiana (21-17, 18-21, 15-11)
Holtwick/Semmler d. Zumkehr/Heidrich (21-18, 21-19)
Ross/Kessy d. Kolocova/Slukova (21-19, 23-21)
Cicolari/Menegatti d. Broder/Valjas (21-16, 21-15)
Liliana/Baquerizo d. Bonnerova/Hermannova (21-6, 21-18) Yowzers, 21-6!
Maria/Agatha d. Schwaiger/Schwaiger (21-16, 21-19)
Van Gestel/Meppelink d. Keizer/Van Iersel (22-20, 21-14)
Quarterfinals
Xue/Zhang Xi d. Lili/Seixas (27-25, 21-17)
Holtwick/Semmler d. Ross/Kessy (21-15, 23-25, 15-13)
Liliana/Baquerizo d. Cicolari/Menegatti (19-21, 21-15, 15-12)
Van Gestel/Meppelink d. Maria/Agatha (17-21, 21-19, 15-11)
Tomorrow’s schedule
Semifinals
Xue/Zhang Xi vs. Holtwick/Semmler
Liliana/Baquerizo vs. Van Gestel/Meppelink
The Net Set 
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