The "hottest" Beach Volleyball tandem on the men's SWATCH FIVB World Tour since last August is not the reigning Olympic or World champions, but Harley Marques and Pedro Salgado, and the Brazilians teamed up to win for the fifth time in their last seven international events by capturing the $US175,000 Italian Open presented by Abruzzo here Sunday on the Palabeach at the Lungomare Trento.
Rebounding from a 13th-place finish last week in the Czech Republic, the third-seeded Harley and Salgado won a pair of matches Sunday to claim their sixth SWATCH FIVB World Tour since forming their partnership at the start of last season. The Brazilians posted a 20-22, 21-18 and 15-8 gold medal win over 11th-seeded Julius Brink and Christoph Dieckmann of Germany in 62 minutes.
After posting a 21-18 and 21-17 elimination win Saturday over eighth-seeded Dmitri Barsouk and Igor Kolodinsky of Russia, Harley and Salgado opened play Sunday with a 16-21, 21-17 and 15-12 semi-final victory over top-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers of the United States in 70 minutes. It was the second semi-final win this season for the Brazilians over Dalhausser and Rogers, the 2007 SWATCH FIVB World champions.
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