Brilliant start for Dalhausser and Rogers at 2011 Brasilia Open
The top-seeded American duo of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers opened the 2011 Brasilia Open on a strong footing.
They appeared in their first match of the regular season on Wednesday, April 20. The American top tandem and some other teams with good ranking points opened the tournament on Wednesday in the Main Draw stage. The duo of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers played
two matches and remained successful. They defeated Chilean and Georgian duos respectively and earned a ticket to the next round.
Dalhausser/Rogers vs. Esteban/Grimalt 2-0 (21-15, 21-12)
In the first match, the American tandem saw Chile’s Esteban and Marco Grimalt on the other side of the net. The top-ranked duo of Dalhausser and Rogers opened the match with confident shots. The U.S. side served through Rogers, who supplied plenty of power
to the ball.
He carefully measured the length of the court and produced a variety of serves. The short serves by Rogers promptly hit the sand as the Chilean side had to no chance to receive them. Chile’s Marco Grimalt kept a keen eye on the ball and showed some excellent
digging and diving. However, the U.S. duo remained on the winning course and denied opponents’ efforts.
Chilean duo attacked from different angles but they faced strong resistance from the American side. Dalhausser killed their spikes with great technique and did not allow the opponents to raise their heads. Dalhausser/Rogers clinched success in opening set
by posting 21-15.
The game entered the second set, while charged-up American team came strong on opponents. They showed no mercy and stormed the Chilean half with groundbreaking shots. After making an exceptionally strong opening in second set, the U.S. duo continued with
heavy strike of volleys.
The Chilean side was down with bad ball-reception and constantly remained in the blue corner. Dalhausser hit the mark in 33rd minute of the game and scored the set point, while Chilean team could only help 12 points. The U.S. pair clinched success in the
opening match.
USA vs. Georgia 2-1 (21-11, 18-21, and 18-16)
Georgian 16th-seeded Renato “Geor” Gomes and Jorge “Gia” Terceiro cross their ways with the top-seeded duo of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers in the second match.
The opening of the match was normal and U.S. marked its presence on the centre court. They played with nice tactics and picked up an early. The Georgian duo appeared irresistible, while U.S. team took full advantage of the situation. They added quick points
and closed off first set by sending 21-11 on the board.
However, the American duo experienced a strong adversary in the form of Georgian Geor/Gia in the following set. The vital timeout after the ending of first set gave a fair chance to Georgian team to work out a perfect plan for opponents. They grasped the
game strategy of US. Team and made a great comeback in the game. The spirited effort of Georgian players helped them cope with the power of rivals. The American duo suffered the setback in second set and could not avoid the chances of tie in the match. Georgian
team hit the equaliser by capturing second set at 21-18.
Third set of the game was a complete thriller. Both sides played with best of their tactics. Success in second set restored the confidence of Georgian team, while American duo was totally raged up. Long rallies were exchanged in third set and spectators
witnessed an extreme action. Finally, the U.S. duo proved to be better and posted 18-16 victory over their resilient rivals.
The American hotshots have paved their way to the semi-finals on Thursday. They are scheduled to take on ninth ranked Spanish duo of Adrian Gavira Collado and Pablo Herrera. The U.S. team has earned a lot of confidence in the Main Draw stage and they are
determined to bring their best to the court in the next matches.
The duo finished the previous season with maximum SWATCH titles. This year, they are totally resolved to maintain the dominance and clinch huge success.
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