US Fuerbringer-Lucena overpower Spaniards to enter final showdown of 2012 Brasilia Open
The first semi-final of Brasilia Open men’s beach volleyball tournament took place on Saturday, April 21 in Brasilia, Brazil.
The fourth-seeded American duo and No. 5 Spanish tandem came into contest for a spot in the final showdown of the tournament. The influential match continued for 56 minutes and covered its length in three sets. American Fuerbringer-Lucena downed Spanish
Herrera-Gavira by sending 2-1 (13-21, 21-18, 15-13) on board.
The US duo started off slow in the match. They did not show the rush and adrenaline but closely observed the movement of Spaniards. However, the Spanish pair played to its full potential and frequently landed the ball in American half. As a result, the US
team trailed behind and gap of the points stretched out. Herrera-Gavira went on front with opening set victory with a wide margin, 21-13.
In the second set, the US pair changed the serving strategy and hit back with force. The Spaniards had the competitive advantage of winning the previous set and offered strong resistance to Americans. The game gradually turned into a heated competition,
while both teams came up with nice display of digging and diving. The second frame featured a balanced action until Lucena paced things with heavy strike of volleys after the second technical timeout. He devastated the defence line of Spaniards with his back-to-back
attacks. The hard work paid off and eventually, Fuerbringer-Lucena claimed second set 21-18 and brought the game to an even point.
After the tie of scores, the game entered decisive third set. It was the final test of skills for both teams. The American pair successfully covered the deficit in second set and got its form back. They showed great consistency in passing during the third
set as well, which helped them to put pressure on the opposite side. The Spanish duo threw everything in attack in order to get back on track.
Nonetheless, the American team finished third set with a narrow gap of two points (15-13) and settled for match victory.
Fuerbringer and Lucena share a great bond between them. They have appeared in 24 world tour events together, which makes them quite experienced on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour. This is the fifth time that they made it to the final together and vying for the
top honours of the tournament. In their last final four appearances, they played two finals and secured silver medals.
However, the team is bummed out to secure the No. 1 spot this year. They will be competing against compatriot duo of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers in the final match on Sunday. Let’s wait and see if they manage to overcome the tough rivals.
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