FIVB Beach Volleyball - Doha Open - A great start in the World tour for the new German team

Men Podium

(source photo : FIVB)

Tim Holler and Jonas Schroder made a dream start to life on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour by winning gold at the inaugural Doha Open on Saturday.
The German pair defeated Canada’s Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter 2-0 (21-18, 21-13 in a match in which Holler dominated at the net and Schroder a bagful of energy at the back of the court. “I’m very lucky I guess,” Schroder said. “He played an almost perfect tournament, we had an almost perfect week and what a finish. It was a great atmosphere and great playing here.”
Holler and Schroder had never previously played on the World Tour, but they have now set themselves a high bar to match in the future after a powerful run to the final. Their previous best came earlier in the year when they won the University Beach Volleyball World Championships and they also added one gold, two silvers and one bronze on the German National Tour.
“We didn’t expect anything,” Holler said. “First we were in qualification then with a bit of luck we made the main draw and the fact we played that well is incredible.

France’s Edouard Rowlandson and Youssef Krou took home the bronze medal after they defeated Russia’s Bykanov and Serguei Prokopiev 2-0 (21-15, 21-15).
The pair controlled the match from start to finish and used their greater experience to maintain their grip on proceedings after they took an early lead.
“I was saying to Youssef that we needed a really, really great match to finish this competition,” Rowlandson said. “We are really pleased with this match.” It is the pair’s second medal of the season after they won gold at the Xiamen Open.

source: FIVB