Vieira and Lili continued with success on day-2 of the Moscow Grand Slam – Volleyball news
The Brazilian female tandem of Angela Vieira and Lili Maestrini, which entered the Qualification Tournament via Country Quota Playoffs, successfully covered the second stage of the 2012 Moscow Grand Slam on Thursday.
After displaying great performance at the Country Quota Playoffs and Qualification Tournament, Vieira-Lili clawed their way to the Main Draw.
They were supposed to play two matches at the Qualification Tournament but one of the fixtures ended in a forfeit. In the other qualifying match, they crossed their ways with Canadian Marie-Andree Lessard and Annie Martin. The 7th-seeded Brazilian pair overcame the 10th-seeded Canadian counterpart in three-set match. It took them almost one hour to launch power on the rivals. The affair ended with the final score of 2-1 (21-12, 22-24, 15-7).
Vieira-Lili opened the match with powerful serves and took bigger run-ups to give the right push to the ball. They served with precision and accuracy, which created trouble for the Canadian tandem. With the help of pretty consistent performance, they easily managed to build a strong lead. The Canadians, on the other hand, could not get the right rhythm to counter attack the Brazilians. They scored only 12 points in the first set and suffered the early set-back.
After winning the opening set, Vieira and Lili tried to put more pressure on the opposite side. However, the Canadian pair came up with better strategy in the second set and hit back aggressively. It was not easy to down the charged-up Brazilian duo but Lessard-Martin continued putting more and more effort. Their performance phenomenally improved in the second set and they even managed to push the Brazilian behind. The hard work paid off and Lessar-Martin pulled off success in the second set of the match (22-24).
In the tie breaker and decisive third set, Brazilian Vieira-Lili bounced back. They grasped the game plan of opponents and did not allow them to go up on the scoreboard. Eventually, the Brazilian pair put an end to the tussle. They finished third set 15-7 and settled for match victory.
Victory allowed the Brazilian Vieira and Lili to grab a spot in Pool D of the Main Draw. They are scheduled to appear in a total of three matches. Brazilian duo will take on teams from Belgium, USA, and Finland, respectively. Vieira and Lili are ranked 20th at the Main Draw and they have high hopes to claim more success in the tournament.
Both players on the team have set their eyes on a spot in the top-sixteen of the tournament. Currently, the duo is in good form and has the potential to fight the challenge.
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