Berlin, Germany, August 11, 2013 – Germany’s leading duo Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler remain on course for their first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Grand Slam gold medal after reaching the Berlin smart Grand Slam final on Sunday.
They will need to be at their very best to overcome gold-medal match opponents and World Tour leaders Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima of Brazil, a team that have their eyes firmly fixed on a fifth Grand Slam gold medal of the year.
Both semifinals went to tie-breaks; Holtwick and Semmler beat USA’s Jennifer Fopma and Brooke Sweat 2-1 (21-17, 16-21, 15-10), while Talita and Lima beat the Czech Republic’s first time semifinalists Marketa Slukova and Kristyna Kolocova 2-1 (20-22, 21-15, 15-8).
The women’s final takes place at 15.35 Berlin time, while the bronze-medal match starts at 14.20.
The Berlin smart Grand Slam is the seventh Grand Slam on the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, which is comprised of 10 Grand Slam events and the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. There are also eight Open events and while they are not part of the World Tour, they still count towards the FIVB World Rankings and help open the door for development of the sport.