German Beach Duo break into the world rankings second
German beach volleyball duo Ehlers/Wickler closes in on medals! In the round of 16, they surprisingly defeat the world number two Brazilians 2-0 (21-16, 21-17). Next up, a potential powerhouse opponent.
Beach volleyball players Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler made a statement at the Olympics and took another step towards a medal. The German champions defeated world number two George/Andre from Brazil 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) and advanced to the quarterfinals. In the round of eight, the Hamburg duo will face either world champions Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner (Czech Republic) or Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot (Netherlands).
The world number three pair got off to a good start at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with Ehlers particularly impressive in attack and block. The German duo played smartly in the second set and controlled the game, except for a brief period when the Brazilians reduced a six-point deficit to just two points in a matter of minutes. However, Ehlers and Wickler regained control after a timeout.
Ehlers/Wickler had already comfortably won their group with three straight wins, including a victory over Poland's world number three Michal Bryl and Bartosz Losiak. The Brazilians struggled in their group, winning just one of their three matches to reach the round of 16.
On Monday (9:00 AM), German champions Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann will face Latvia's Tina Graudina/Anastasija Samoilova in the round of 16. Rio 2016 gold medalist Laura Ludwig announced her retirement after the season following her early exit in the group stage with Louisa Lippmann.
The Beach duo of Ehlers and Wickler continues to impress, their victory over the Brazilians further solidifying their status. In the upcoming quarterfinals, they'll battle it out against the winners of the Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner and Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot match.
