Phuket, Thailand,
October 29, 2013 – Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst are favourites in Phuket
for the penultimate FIVB Beach Volleyball Open of 2013. One of the most popular
venues on the FIVB circuit, the Open series women’s event is back in Thailand
for an eighth consecutive year. Laura Ludwig and
Kira Walkenhorst come towards the end of a successful first season together and
become the top seeded pair in Phuket after Brazil’s Talita Da Rocha Antunes and
Taiana Lima pull out due to injury. Taking home bronze in Xiamen and silver at
the two Grand Slams before that, gold has yet eluded the German pair. USA fields three
teams in the main draw, April Ross and Jennifer Fopma, Brooke Sweat and
Jennifer Kessy and Emily Day and Summer Ross. The teams have had a little mix
around for Phuket, but each is capable of posing a threat and progressing
through the rounds.Challengers
also include Brazilian’s Maria Clara Salgado Rufino and Carolina Solberg Salgado
who have gone from strength to strength this season after a year apart in 2012
for Carol’s maternity leave. They have racked up one gold, two silver and two
bronze Grand Slam medals already this year and the pair took bronze in Phuket
in 2010. Fellow Brazilian's
Agatha Bednarczuk and Maria Antonelli already claimed one silver and one bronze Grand Slam medal this year in South
America. Agatha will be aiming for similar success in Thailand with Antonelli
as last year, when she claimed bronze at the Bangsaen Open with former partner
Barbara Seixas.
Local’s
Varapatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee aim for a top ten finish in
Phuket after posting their best ever result here in 2011 with 13th.Thailand has hosted
over 10 women’s and one men’s FIVB tournament. Overall, the USA has been the
most successful with 10 medal finishes in the seven FIVB World Tour events held
in Phuket.The tournament
previously ran from 2006 until 2011, when the event moved to Bangsaen in 2012.
China’s Chen Xue and Zhang Xi won the 2011 edition, while Jennifer Kessy and
April Ross were victorious in 2012. Phuket
is an island located to the south of Thailand, while the city of Phuket is the
island’s capital and home to 75,000 people. It is located 825 kilometres from
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. This
will be the eighth successive year that Thailand has staged an Open series
women’s event on the FIVB calendar.