Fort Lauderdale, Fla., October 2, 2015 - The reigning and past men’s FIVB world champions won their matches here Friday to remain in contention for the largest winner’s paycheck in international Beach Volleyball history as four teams earned spots in Saturday’s quarter-finals of the US$500,000 SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals.Brazilians Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt, who captured the 2015 FIVB “senior” World Championships July 5 in The Hague, posted wins over pairs from Canada and The Netherlands to advance as the second team from Pool B to Saturday’s quarter-finals where the second-seeded South Americans will be challenged by ninth-seeded Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai of Italy.Fourth-seeded Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of The Netherlands, who shocked the planet in 2013 by capturing the FIVB World Championships in Stare Jablonki, Poland, out-lasted top-seeded Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson of the United States 2-1 (21-11, 25-27, 15-13) in a 54-minute Pool A match to gain a quarter-final berth against Dutch rivals Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst.Fifth-seeded Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg of Brazil (Pool A) and 10th-seeded Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena of the United States (Pool B), who netted SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals semi-finals berths Thursday, finished group play with 4-0 records after defeating teams from Spain and Austria, respectively.Evandro and Pedro, bronze medal finishers at the 2015 FIVB World Championships, did not have to take to the court Friday as the Brazilians secured a forfeit win over eighth-seeded Adrian Gavira and Pablo Herrera of Spain. Herrera had a leg injury and did not what to risk further problems since the Spaniards were already eliminated from the competition.The Brazilians will be playing in their fourth semi-final this season after winning a June stop in Norway (Stavanger Major) and placing second two weeks earlier at the Russian Grand Slam where Evandro and Pedro dropped the finale to Gavira and Herrera.Dalhausser and Lucena, who earned a “wild card” for the SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals, ended pool play with a 2-0 (21-10, 24-22) win in 38 minutes over seventh-seeded Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst of Austria. The Americans have now advanced four semi-final in five FIVB World Tour events this season since rekindling their partnership last month.Dalhausser and Lucena placed second to Alison and Bruno in their first event this season at the United States Grand Slam in Long Beach, followed by a fifth in Poland (Olsztyn), second in Russia (Sochi) and first in China (Xiamen) last week before traveling 36 hours to start playing Tuesday in the SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.The SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals concludes Sunday with the medal matches. The winning teams in each gender’s competition will share the $100,000 first-place purses - the biggest gold medal prize in FIVB World Tour history since the start of the men’s play in 1987 and the women in 1992.Friday (October 2) ResultsMenPool A
• Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands (No. 4-seeded team) def. Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson, United States (1), 21-11, 25-27, 15-13 (54 minutes)
• Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg, Brazil (5) won by forfeit over Adrian Gavira/Pablo Herrera, Spain (8)Pool B
• Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands (3) vs. Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst, Austria (6), 21-11, 21-18 (35)
• Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil (2) vs. Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk, Canada (7), 21-16, 21-19 (44)
• Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States (10) def. Clemens Doppler/Alexander Horst, Austria (6), 21-10, 24-22 (38)
• Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil (2) def. Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands (3), 21-13, 21-16 (34)WomenPool A
• Lauren Fendrick/April Ross, United States (1) def. Elsa Baquerizo/Liliana Fernandez, Spain (8), 21-11, 19-21, 15-9 (57)
• Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany (5) def. Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas, Brazil (4), 21-17, 21-19 (39)Pool B
• Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands (6) def. Emily Day/Jennifer Kessy, United States (7), 16-21, 22-20, 15-7 (58)
• Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, Brazil (2) def. Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, Canada (3), 21-23, 21-17, 17-15 (55)Quarter-finals
• Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas Brazil (4) def. Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel Netherlands (6), 21-13, 26-24 (49)
• Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, Canada (3) def. Lauren Fendrick/April Ross United States (1), 21-15, 21-16 (41)Saturday’s (October 3) ScheduleMen’sQuarter-finals
9 a.m. - Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands (4) vs. Reinder Nummerdor/Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands (3)
10 a.m. - Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil (2) vs. Daniele Lupo/Paolo Nicolai, Italy (9)Semi-finals
2:30 p.m. - Evandro Goncalves/Pedro Solberg, Brazil (5) vs. Alison/Bruno, Brazil (2) or Lupo/Nicolai, Italy (9)
3:30 p.m. - Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, United States (10) vs. Brouwer/Meeuwsen, Netherlands (4) or Nummerdor/Varenhorst, Netherlands (3)WomenSemi-finals
11 a.m. - Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, Brazil (2) vs. Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, Canada (3)
1 p.m. Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany (5) vs. Agatha Bednarczuk/Barbara Seixas, Brazil (4)