Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 12, 2016 - The 12-000-seat “Coliseu on Copacabana” was the happening place to be at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games here Friday afternoon as women’s gold medal favorites Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca of Brazil sent German rivals Karla Borger and Britta Buthe “a packin’” with a two-set beach volleyball elimination win.
With the Germans playing their third match in a 19-hour period, Talita and Larissa scored a 2-0 (21-17, 2-19) win in 39 minutes over Borger and Buthe in the fourth international meeting between the two teams. The lone German win was at the end of February on Brazilian sand at the Maceio Open.
Talita and Larissa entered the match with a perfect 6-0 set mark by winning each by an average score of 21-14. Borger and Buthe pushed the Brazilians so far as no team in the Copacabana competing had scored more than 16 points in Talita and Larissa’s first three pool play matches against teams from Russia, the United States and Poland.
The Germans led several times in both sets. After leading early in the first set by an 8-5 score before the Brazilians went on a four-point run to take control of match at that point. Borger and Buthe again led early and had a 12-9 lead at the technical timeout. Talita and Larissa scored six if the next eight points to gain a 15-13 lead. The Germans had brief runs to tie the set at 16s and 18s, but Larissa scored two of the final three points to give the Brazilians the win.
While Borger and Buthe finish their first Olympic competition in ninth-place, Talita and Larissa advance to the quarterfinals where the Brazilians play the winners of a Saturday evening match between Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel of The Netherlands and Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland.
Both Talita and Larissa are playing in their third Olympics. Larissa claimed the bronze medal at the London 2012 Games after placing fifth with Ana Paula Connolly at the Beijing 2008 Summer Games. Talita was fourth in Beijing with Renata Ribeiro and ninth in London with Maria Antonelli.
Here are the other women’s Round of 16 matches to be played.
Friday, August 12
7 p.m. - Ekaterina Birlova/Evgeniya Ukolova, Russia (No. 24-seeded team) vs. Elsa Baquerizo/Liliana Fernandez, Spain (11)
Midnight - April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings, United States (3) vs. Laura Giombini/Marta Menegatti, Italy (9)
Saturday, August 13
12 p.m. - Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, Canada (5) vs. Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas, Canada (16)
3 p.m. - Isabelle Forrer/Anouk Verge-Depre, Switzerland (10) vs. Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany (4)
8 p.m. - Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands (6) vs. Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland (17)
11 p.m. - Monika Brzostek/Kinga Kolosinska, Poland (12) vs. Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy, Australia (7)