ITALIAN SUMMIT IN THE QUARTERFINALS

European Championship Tour 2004

Roseto di Abruzzi, 14th May 2004. The fans at the opening tournament of this year's European Championship Tour in Roseto di Abruzzi can look forward to a very special highlight, from the host's point of view. The quarterfinals will feature the two top Italian teams, Laura BRUSCHINI/Anamaria SOLAZZI against Lucilla PERROTTA/Daniella GATTELLI, the emerging winner figuring to be the favourite to win the tournament. A quarterfinals match between the three-time European Champions and the 2002 European Champions promises to be world-class Beach Volleyball at the Italian Open.

Switzerland's KUHN/SCHNYDER-BENOIT and AHMANN/VOLLMER (GER) breezed through the first rounds with four consecutive wins, making apparent that they have big plans for the tournament on the Adriatic beach. AHMANN/VOLLMER, silver-medallists at the 2003 EC in Alanya (TUR), left no doubt in their straight sets victory (21:16, 21:18) over their compatriots CLAASEN/STOOF. "It could continue like this", Jana VOLLMER commented on her team's success. The German national team player was born and raised in the Czech Republic and played for the country that was originally known as the CSSR before Glasnost and Perestroika. The upcoming opponents of the quarterfinal match could prove especially interesting for Jana VOLLMER: the duo CELBOVA/NOVAKOVA is Czech.

KADIJK/LEENSTRA from the Netherlands have also made a great impression so far. In the most hard-fought match of the last sixteen they emerged victorious with 2:1 (17:21, 21:19, 21:19) against the Germans Susanne LAHME and Danja MÜSCH. The longest match of the tournament so far took over an hour when the blond Dutch women finally came out as winners against their experienced opponents. In the men's tournament the dominant forces in Europe seem to be the teams to win in Roseto as well.

The Austrian European Champions (BERGER/DOPPLER) had to work hard against the German qualifiers DIECKMANN/SCHEUERPFLUG before winning in three sets (18:21, 23:21, 15:10). The 2001 European Champions, Sascha HEYER and Markus EGGER (SUI) on the other hand had a much easier time in the preliminary round: Two easy wins against TABARINI/TABARINI (SMR) and PERIC/TRIMCEVSKI (CRO) were very much to HEYER's liking: "Our group is not really difficult", the Swiss said, grinning, "and we are enjoying it. The upcoming matches will be tough enough."

Background information on the European Championship Tour
The European Championship Tour is the highest ranked series of European Beach Volleyball tournaments that promotes the sport and its star players on a European level. The series of tournaments culminates into the European Championship Final as the season's highlight.

For further information please visit www.eurobeachtour.com and/or contact the Communication Managers of the European Championship Tour Klaus Wegener and Felix Meininghaus at communications@eurobeachtour.com.

Background information on the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball
The CEV is the FIVB supporting institution responsible for governing 54 National Volleyball Federations throughout Europe and is recognised as such by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. The CEV has the authority and responsibility for organising all European Competitions, especially the European Championship Tour (Men & Women).

For further information please contact the CEV Head Office in Luxembourg, Olivier Mottier at olivier.mottier@cev.lu or
+ 352 25 46 46 25.

Background information on Global Sports Marketing Ltd. (GSM)
GSM is dedicated to the development and implementation of innovation in sports and entertainment. The company positions and markets international sports and entertainment properties on behalf of the respective rights-holders. Besides, it offers all services related to the marketing of commercial rights - media, sponsorship and licensing/merchandising rights as well as development of sports brands. GSM, based in Zurich (Switzerland) develops, promotes and markets the European Championship Tour within a long-term partnership with the European Volleyball Confederation CEV.

For further information please contact Global Sports Marketing, Christian Scholbrock at christian.scholbrock@gsmglobalsports.com or +41 43 244 9977.