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GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, April 25, 2015 - Two-time winners
in the last three years and bronze medalists last year, Puerto
Rican duo, Erik Haddock and Roberto Rodriguez stayed in the hunt
for another podium finish by reaching the semifinals of the 2015
NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit curtain raiser at the Seven
Miles Beach, on Saturday.
In Sunday’s final-four match-up, Haddock and Rodriguez will face
Canada-B’s Garrett May and Daniel Dearing, while USA-A duo, Mark
Burik and Curt Toppel will play Cubans, Nivaldo Diaz and Sergio
Gonzalez in the other from 11.30 am.
Haddock and Rodriguez earned their final-four spot after easing
past El Salvador’s Carlos Escobar and David Vargas 21-8, 21-13
in their quarterfinal to add to their earlier win over Costa
Ricans, Diego Alpizar and Julio Alvarez, 21-13, 21-14 in their
Pool C decider.
Escobar and Vargas made sure of a place in the last-eight by
beating Hondurans Luis Coto and Jesus Olivia 21-13, 21-7 for the
runner-up spot in Pool D, behind Canada-A, Felipe Humana and
Christian Redmann.
May and Dearing brushed aside Barbadians Elwyn Oxley and Winston
Gittens 21-14, 21-17 to complete Pool B play, 3-0 and then
silenced USA-B’s Derek Olson and William Kolinske 21-11, 21-19.
Burik and Toppel humbled Guatemalans’ Julio Recinos and Luis
Garcia 21-12, 21-17 to start the day and end second in Pool B,
behind May and Dearing, and then came from a set down to oust
Humana and Redmann, 12-21, 21-16, 15-11 for a spot in the
semifinals.
Gonzalez and Díaz, winners of three gold medals in Guatemala
City, Antigua Guatemala, and Huixquilucan in Mexico last year,
and silver at home in Varadero ended top of Pool D after
scolding Cayman Islands Olney Thompson and Phillippe Deslandes
21-9, 21-10.
The duo, who also won a bronze medal in the finale in Trinidad
and Tobago last year and gold at the Central American and
Caribbean Games tournament in Veracruz, Mexico, then made light
work of Costa Ricans, Alpizar and Alvares, 21-14, 21-16.
Men Day Two Results:
Pool A: USA-A d TTO 21-11, 21-17; CAN-A d NIC 21-19, 21-10
Pool B: USA-A d GUA 21-12, 21-17; CAN-B d BAR 21-14, 21-17
Pool C: PUR d CRC 21-13, 21-14; LCA d BIZ 21-18, 21-18
Pool D: ESA d HON 21-13, 21-7; CUB D CAY 21-9, 21-10
Quarterfinals:
USA-A d CAN-A 12-21, 21-16, 15-11; CUB d CRC 21-14, 21-16; CAN-B
vs USA-B 21-11, 21-19. PUR d ESA 21-8, 21-13. |
