Doha: Lars Fluggen and Markus Bockermann ended a long season in the best way possible by winning their second FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour gold of the year, at the Doha Open yesterday.
The German pair defeated Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser 2-1 (21-18, 16-21, 15-13) to secure their first victory in three attempts against the American pair this year.
In doing so they succeed Tim Holler and Jonas Schroder on top of the podium, after their compatriots won the inaugural event in 2014. “It was very, very tough,” Fluggen said.
“I think these two guys are the best team in the world right now. They won three out of five of the last tournaments and it just feels awesome to beat them.”
Fluggen and Bockermann have truly made their mark on the World Tour in 2015. They won their first World Tour medals together by winning gold at the Fuzhou Open and then won silvers at the Rio de Janeiro and Xiamen Opens.
Gold in Doha means that they have now book-ended the year on top of World Tour podiums.
“This year is the first time we’ve reached a semifinal and that experience was important,” Bockermann said. “We’ve learned to get it right and we need to keep it going.”
John Hyden and Tri Bourne ended their long wait for a return to the World Tour podium when they defeated Edouard Rowlandson and Youssef Krou in the bronze medal match.
The American ensured that there would be two US teams on the podium by beating the French duo (21-15, 20-22, 15-12). The bronze is their first World Tour medals since they claimed gold at the 2014 Berlin Grand Slam.
“I thought it was one of our best performances of the year,” Hyden said. “It was really fun and both teams were making great plays and I’m just glad we came out on top.”
Earlier, Fluggen and Bockermann needed to dig deep to defeat USA’s John Hyden and Tri Bourne 2-1 (21-14, 16-21, 15-12) in the first of the semifinals.
Reaching the final means that the pair keep up their stellar form in their best season together. They opened the season by winning gold at the Fuzhou Open and followed up by twice winning silver.
“It was so tough, it was a really long season and started in April,” Bockermann said.
“I’ve never played such a long season and it going to be a tough match at the end of a tough season. “It was so hard. It was really hot and we struggled in the side-out a little, but we had a good plan to break the Americans. We lost the last time and now we won and it feels good.” Lucena and Dalhausser also needed three sets to reach their fifth final of the season, but rallied from losing the first set to beat Rowlandson and Krou 2-1 (15-21, 21-16, 15-7).
“We started off pretty bad and we missed about 10 serves,” Lucena said. “Phil took over in the third and that is how we have been working.”
The FIVB Qatar Open is last of three open events on the 2015 portion of the 2016 FIVB World Tour calendar and started on Monday at the Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy in the Al Gharafa Sports Club in Doha.
The Peninsula
