Top seeds Walsh Jennings/Ross charge to Cincinnati Open semis

Mason, Ohio, USA, May 20, 2016 – Once again, Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross powered their way through to the brink of another big finish in a FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event.That’s pretty much because that’s what they believe they’re supposed to do.The top-seeded Walsh Jennings and Ross, who hit a bit of a stumble earlier in the day, rolled to a 21-15, 21-13 win over Germany’s Teresa Mersmann and Isabel Schneider Friday evening at the Lindner Family Tennis Center to reach Saturday’s semifinals and medal matches of the FIVB Cincinnati Open, presented by the AVP.They will take on fourth-seeded Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandes of Spain in the semifinals, with the final to be played later in the afternoon as they strive for their third tournament title of the year in five events on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. The duo has earned a medal in all four tournaments and has lost only two of 33 matches on the FIVB World Tour in 2016.“I’m happy with it,” Walsh Jennings said. “I don’t want to put a number on it but I know we have better in us. I’m looking forward to having that come out all day tomorrow. But it’s been really good. I feel like our energy is really positive I feel like we’re really cohesive in defense, which is my favorite part of the entire game, and I feel like we’re doing what we want to do so we’re finding our rhythm.”Baquerizo and Fernandez, who struggled at the outset of the season, are in the semifinals for the second tournament in a row and have apparently found their footing. They placed second in their previous event, the FIVB Sochi Open in Russia.“We are very excited because we came from Sochi, where we did a semifinal and know how hard it is to be consistent,” Baquerizo said. “So this is great for us. We are keeping …

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