Russians Krasilnikov & Semenov in Sochi finale versus Italians Lupo & Nicolai

Sochi, Russia, May 7, 2016 – After placing fourth in the inaugural event in this Black Sea coastal resort last September, Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Konstantin Semenov will play in the US$150,000 Sochi Open finals this time after the Russian pair posted a semi-final upset here Saturday evening over a team from Italy that they had never beaten before on the FIVB World Tour.

Seeded eighth in the Sochi Open, Krasilnikov and Semenov won two matches Saturday highlighted by a 2-0 (21-19, 21-17) semi-final win over fifth-seeded Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri in a 37 minute semi-final match.  In two previous meetings, the Italians had defeated Krasilnikov and Semenov twice in two sets at SWATCH Major Series stops last season in Croatia and Switzerland.

Combined with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) win by ninth-seeded Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo of Italy over third-seeded Tri Bourne and John Hyden of the United States, Sunday’s Sochi Open finale will be a rematch of last September’s bronze medal match on the Sport Inn courts along with the second meeting of this tournament between the two teams.

WOMEN’S FINALE & $11,000

Sunday’s final matches will also feature women’s play where fourth-seeded Joana Heidrich and Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland will meet sixth-seeded Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandez of Spain for the gold medal.  The winning teams will share the $11,000 first-place prizes.

Nicolai and Lupo posted a 2-1 (21-18, 15-21, 15-13) in 55 minutes over the …

continue reading in source www.fivb.org