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ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands, June 30, 2015 – With only 18 World
Tour events on their track record and one bronze medal at the
2014 Puerto Vallarta Open Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros
were not the favourites to win pool L in Rotterdam.
But in the first days of the
World Championships the 36th seeded Mexicans surprised everyone
with straight wins over Stavanger champions Pedro Solberg and
Evandro Goncalves (12th) and 13th seeded Alexander Walkenhorst
and Stefan Windscheif of Germany.
On Tuesday they added another
2-0 (21-13, 21-16) win over Tunisia’s Naceur and Belhaj to top
the pool without losing a set.
Two years ago the South
Americans finished 17th at the World Championships in Poland,
but now they hope for more. “We are more mature now and it’s
going well this time”, said Ontiveros. “We are trying to do our
best.”
Their next hurdle will be home
team Michiel van Dorsten and Steven van de Velde in the first
elimination round on Wednesday.
Four USA teams also topped their respective pools with 3-0
record advancing to the Round of 32. Those duos are Ryan Doherty
and John Mayer in Pool B, John Hyden and Tri Bourne in Pool I,
Nick Lucena and Theodore Brunner in Pool J and Jacob Gibb and
Casey Patterson in Pool K.
Also advancing with 2-1 mark in pool play are Nivaldo Díaz and
Sergio Gonzalez of Cuba in Pool A, and Canada’s Josh Binstock
and Sam Schachter in Pool D and Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton in
Pool H.
Among the women teams, Kerri Walsh and April Ross of United
States defeated Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley 2-0
(21-19, 21-13) in the battle for top place in Pool C as the two
pairs were secured of spots in the Round of 32.
Also moving forward to the main draw with 2-1 were Lauren
Fendrick and Brooke Sweat of United States and Canada’s Melissa
Humana-Paredes/Taylor Pischke while Jamie Broder and Kristina
Valjas of Canada advanced with a 1-2 mark as one of the best
eight third placed teams.
The men’s teams of Carlos Escobar and David Vargas of El
Salvador and Roberto Rodriguez and Eric Haddock of Puerto Rico
finished with 0-3 in pool play and were eliminated.
The women’s teams of María José Orellana and María Andrea
Orellana of Guatemala, Karen Cope and Nathalia Alfaro of Costa
Rica and Bibiana Candelas and Claudia Rios of Mexico finished
with 0-3 record and were outlasted. Cuba’s Leila Martinez and
Lianma Flores finished with 1-2 record and could not advance. |
