Women's champions knocked out of Olympic beach volleyball in nail-biting finish
Sweden and Germany stormed into the Olympic men's beach volleyball semi-finals on Tuesday, but there was shock in the women's sport as the world champions were knocked out in straight sets.
In the men's game, world number one Swedish duo David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig booked a place in the semi-finals by thrashing opponents Evandro Goncalves Oliveira Junior and Arthur Diego Mariano Lanci of Brazil.
The Brazilian team whipped up an excited crowd at the venue next to the Eiffel Tower but were slower to get going on the court, and the youthful top-seeded pair made some spectacular blocks against the Brazilian duo to earn their victory.
The Swedish men, both aged 22, have become known for their use of an aggressive playing style known as the "Swedish jump-set", which adds an element of unpredictability to attacking play.
There were rowdy cheers throughout from the frenzied crowd who danced to the "Macarena" and sang along to "Voulez-vous" by Abba.
"This match was amazing," said Hellvig after the game. "From our side, we played really, really well. So, it feels really good right now."
Organisers said the sand temperature reached 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) on the central court mid-afternoon, as fans sheltered under flags and hats.
Earlier, third-ranked Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler of Germany knocked out Dutch pair Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot, in the first men's quarter-final match.
The German pair just had the edge on their orange-clad opponents, helped by some superb hits from the towering Ehlers -– who stands at 6 ft 11 inches (2.11m) –- to win in two straight sets.
"We were quite nervous but I screamed everything out... I screamed every point. I was as loud as I could," Ehlers said.
- Shock for US champions -
As the sun set over Paris, the first two women's quarter-finals were played in a full-on evening which saw the women's world champions eliminated in a nail-biting finish.
Switzerland's Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner ended the Olympic hopes of US duo Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng in a top-class game -- Brunner and Hueberli showing quick reflexes and capitalising on mistakes from their US opponents to win 21/18, 21/19.
In an emotional finish, the pair received a standing ovation from the crowd and Hueberli -- who has recovered previous surgery for a pulmonary embolism -- sank to the sand.
It was some consolation for Switzerland after their other women's team were knocked out by Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar from Australia.
The Australian pair cruised through the first set and while the Swiss pair regained ground in the second, the Australians finally prevailed.
The party atmosphere only intensified through the evening, with the crowd on their feet, doing Mexican waves, and shaking the stands of the temporary stadium.
Beach volleyball has become one of the most popular events at the Olympics since its inclusion in 1996.
But the sport has drawn particular attention in Paris -- partly for the venue's spectacular location, and partly for the controversy surrounding Dutch player Steven van de Velde, a convicted rapist who was selected for the Olympics despite his criminal past.
Van de Velde and teammate Matthew Immers were knocked out of the competition Sunday.
Ch.Reilly--EWJ
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