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GERMAN BEACH VOLLEYBALLERS SHINE AT HOME
NESTEA European Championship Tour 2006
Luxembourg/Hamburg, June 6, 2006. At the
German Masters of the NESTEA European Championship Tour, which took
place in Hamburg from 31st May to 3rd June 2006, the men’s as well as
the women’s event were won by German teams. Whilst Brink/Dieckmann
seized gold in the men’s event, 2003 European Champions Pohl/Rau won
the women’s brackets.
Julius Brink and Christoph Dieckmann, who claimed bronze at the
first event of the NESTEA European Championship Tour 2006, i.e. the
Turkish Masters, were unbeatable on home ground during the German
Masters where they captured the final match over compatriots David
Klemperer/Kjell Schneider 21-14, 21-9. The final was a demonstration of
strength. “Everything went our way”, Dieckmann commented after the
victory, “Serve, block, as well as defence. We are not able to play any
better than that.” Brink/Dieckmann didn’t concede a single set during
the course of the tournament. “We improved from match to match”,
Dieckmann added. The success in the German Masters is already the third
career victory on the NESTEA European Championship Tour for Christoph
Dieckmann. The previous two he won with his former partner Andreas
Scheuerpflug.
Whilst Brink/Dieckmann claimed 8’500 Euros for the victory,
Klemperer/Schneider were consoled with 6’250. Thanks to their victory
at the German Masters, which followed the third place at the Turkish
Masters in Alanya, Brink/Dieckmann have consequently taken over the
lead as ‘smart European ranking leader’. If they manage to remain at the top of the CEV Ranking
list until the end of the season after the NESTEA European Championship
Final in Den Haag (NED) has taken place, the German pair will be
rewarded with two ‘smart forfour’.
Two surprising teams met in the match for third place. Reinder
Nummerdor and Richard Schuil from the Netherlands made it all the way
from the qualification phase to the semi-finals. The former indoor
stars proved they were a challenge for sand specialists for years to
come. The same can be said of Mykola Babich and Oleg Nikolayev from the
Ukraine. The surprising teams from Eastern and Western Europe were a
tough match-up for one another in the bronze medal match but at the end
the Dutch duo came out on top winning the match for third place in
three sets (16-21, 21-18, 15-12).
In the women’s competition, Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau, who have
never yet lost a final in Hamburg, beat Czechs Lenka Felbabova nd Petra
Novotna to become ‘smart European ranking leaders’. The Czech duo have
played as a team for four years, but rarely managed to seize a spot on
the podium. Their best finish so far was fifth place at the Swiss
Masters 2005. But at the 100’000 Euro German Masters they went all the
way to the final. Understandably, the girls from Prague shied away from
the cameras. “Please, no interview”, Petra Novotna requested when a
camera team approached her, “Our English is not good enough.”
“It’s crazy”, Petra Novotna said following their semi-final victory
over Dutch Keizer/Leenstra, “We would never have thought we were able
to beat a team like that. After all, we didn’t stand a chance against
them in the second round and had to play our way back to the top
through the loser’s round.”
Their winning streak, however, ended in the final where they lost
against Hamburg natives Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau in straight sets
(21-19, 21-18). “We know the Germans are better than us”, stated
Novotna, “In addition, they have the advantage of playing in front of
their home crowd.” For Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau it was the perfect
weekend. They had proclaimed early on that they were determined to win
at home and simply followed their plan with not losing a set during the
entire tournament.
The victory in the Hanseatic city presented the 2003 European Champions
with 8’500 Euros and 600 ranking list points. They have now taken the
lead as ‘smart European ranking leader’. The leaders of the CEV Ranking
list will win two ‘smart forfour’ at the end of the season. Third place
in Hamburg went to Keizer/Leenstra, who beat Sarka Nakladalova and
Tereza Tobiasova from the Czech Republic in three sets (19-21, 21-18,
15-13).
For more information please view www.cev.lu/BeachVolleyball or www.eurobeachtour.com
The tournaments of the NESTEA European Championship Tour 2006:
17 - 21 May 2006: Turkish Masters in Alanya
31 May - 3 June 2006: German Masters in Hamburg
15 - 18 June 2006: Russian Masters in Moscow
20 - 23 July 2006: Spanish Masters in Valencia
5 - 8 August 2006: Swiss Masters in Lucerne
24 - 27 August 2006: NESTEA European Championship Final in The Hague (NED)
Background information on the NESTEA European Championship Tour
The NESTEA 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 NESTEA 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 NESTEA 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 NESTEA 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 8970.
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