Italy’s Lupo & Nicolai win rematch, net Sochi Open gold

Sochi, Russia, May 8, 2016 – After losing to host country favorites Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Konstantin Semenov in a three-set pool play match Thursday, Italians Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai avenged the setback here Sunday evening to capture the gold medal at the US$150,000 Sochi Open before a jam-packed at the Sport Inn center court.

The 2-0 (21-15, 21-18) gold medal win in 36 minutes over the eighth-seeded Krasilnikov and Semenov earned the ninth-seeded Lupo and Nicolai the $11,000 first-place purse while the Russians split $8,000 for placing second.  The winning performance also was special for Lupo, who celebrated his 25th birthday Friday when he and Nicolai won two elimination matches after finishing second Thursday to the Russians in their pool.

SERIES TIED 3-3

Lupo and Nicolai’s win tied the FIVB World Tour series between the two teams at 3-3 as Krasilnikov and Semenov posted a 2-1 (21-18, 16-21, 15-12) pool play win Thursday in 48 minutes to snap a two-match losing streak to the Italians that included a bronze medal setback at the 2015 Sochi Open last September.

In winning their third FIVB World Tour gold medal, Lupo and Nicolai snapped a two-year drought as the Italians’ first-two gold medals were at back-to-back events in 2014 at international stops in China at Fuzhou (April 26) and Shanghai (May 3) where they won 13 of 14 matches …

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