Mihails Samoilovs / Aleksandrs Solovejs and Stankevičs / Knašs met in the men’s final of the Daugavpils stage. The former were given a third number and the latter a fourth.
Stankevičs / Knašs won M.Samoilovs / Solovejs in the final with 2-0 (21:16, 22:20).
“There was a lack of emotion, because there was a rather short break between the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, we could not recover until the finals. There was not enough physics. There was not even the strength to shout,” M. Samoilovs told Latvian television channel 7 after the finals. Also in the group, all the games were in three sets yesterday. Should have won by 2-0, then it would have been easier. ”
“We’re both big, and it’s hard for us in this heat. I couldn’t play in the first set at all, I woke up in the second, but it was too late,” Solovay added. “In the end we figured out how to serve, we made a lot of mistakes in the first set. We spent all previous fights on cards 2 and 3, which are perpendicular to the main square and where there is a different wind and sun. Let’s fight for the first place in Cesis.”
Meanwhile, Mārtiņš Pļaviņš / Matīss Gabduļins, who were placed in the bronze duel with the first number, defeated Ardis Daniels Bedrītis / Arnis Reliņš, who were placed in the tournament with the fifth number, 2-0 (21:13, 21:19).
“It is a great pleasure that we got to the third place,” Pļaviņš told the LTV7 channel after the fight about the success of the newly formed duo, this time taking a free step to Pļaviņš’s permanent partner Edgars Točs. “This time the Lithuanians were lucky in the semi-finals. It is a bit unusual to play together, and the third place is good in such conditions.”
In the women’s competition Kravčenoka / Graudiņa, who were awarded the first number, defeated the Lithuanian pair Ieva Dumbauskaite / Gerda Grudzinskaite with the third number 2-0 (21:18, 21:18).
“We had a fiercer fight against the Lithuanians compared to others. It is very good that it was right in front of the fans,” Kravčenoka, whose hometown is Daugavpils, said in a conversation with Latvian television after the victory. “Many thanks to Daugavpils municipality, because the tournament has been fantastic, and I really appreciate it.”
“I haven’t been to Daugavpils for a very long time, and the atmosphere in this tournament is very nice. Besides, there were so many familiar faces, because Daugavpils is a real volleyball city,” Graudiņa added.
In the fight for the third place with the second number, Varvara Brailko / Anete Namiķe played with the Lithuanian duo Rugile Grudzinskaite / Ieva Kazūraitīte 2-0 (21:12, 21:17), who were awarded the 11th number.
32 men’s and 28 women’s duets had applied for the fourth stage of the Latvian championship.
In the previous stage, Pļaviņš / Točs celebrated the victory in Saulkrasti, but another stage earlier, Aleksandrs Samoilovs / Jānis Šmēdiņš were crowned the winners.
This season in the Latvian championship “ERGO Open 2020” beach volleyball players compete in four stages and in the final. In the final stage, on August 16, the 2020 Latvian champions in beach volleyball will be crowned in Cēsis, with players from other countries missing.
All five stages are held outside Riga, continuing to explore new regions of Latvia. This year, one of the largest state volleyball talent blacksmiths in Daugavpils made its debut with the organization of its stage.
The final stage of both men’s and women’s competitions will take place from 14 to 16 August in Cēsis, where the beach volleyball ambassadors will be Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Marta Ozoliņa.
Admission to the ERGO Open stages is free for spectators.
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