truebluefan

The two women's Beach Volleyball teams from Brazil and the United States that have competed for the SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal the past two times in the German capital will be facing each other again, but this time it will be in the semi-finals of the US$600,000 smart Grand Slam after both tandems won quarter-final matches here Friday.

Top-seeded Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States will play second-seeded Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil for the 14th time on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour since March 2004. Two of the previous 13 matches were gold-medal affairs in Berlin in 2005 and 2007 with the Americans winning both times as the 2006 event was not held due to the soccer World Cup in Germany.

Saturday's second semi-final match pits eighth-seeded Jen Boss and April Ross of the United States against seventh-seeded Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China as the two teams meet for the third-time on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour. The Americans won both matches, including a Norwegian Grand Slam gold medal affair last year in Stavanger when Boss and Ross had to qualify for the Main Draw to became the lowest-seeded team (29th) to win a SWATCH stop.

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UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

Men's Beach Volleyball teams from nine countries still remain in the US$600,000 smart Grand Slam competition after the completion of pool play and elimination matches here Friday in the first of six Grand Slam events on the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar.

The United States had three tandems winning their pools to receive first-round "byes" in the 24-team single-elimination bracket where eight matches were played late Friday to determine the lineup for Saturday's first eight of 12 matches in front of the Berlin's main train station at the Washingtonplatz.

Other countries still in contention for the $43,500 first-place prize to be awarded at the conclusion of Sunday's gold medal match are Brazil, China, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. Led by second-seeded Julius Brink and Christoph Dieckmann, Germany will also have three teams playing Saturday.

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UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

Reigning Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh set a record for team gold-medal finishes on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour here Saturday afternoon as the Beach Volleyball tandem for the United States defeated Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China for the US$600,000 smart Grand Slam title.

Played before a capacity crowd of more than 5,000 in front of the German capital's main train station at the Washingtonplatz, the top-seeded May-Treanor and Walsh posted a 21-18 and 22-20 win in 45 minutes over the seventh-seeded Chinese pair to share the $43,500 first-place prize. Tian and Wang split $29,500 for second-place.

In winning for the seventh-straight time on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, May-Treanor and Walsh increased their career international gold medal count to 32. The Americans had been tied with the legendary Brazilian tandems of Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos (men) and Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede (women) with 31 SWATCH medals entering this week's smart Grand Slam.

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UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

Three-time SWATCH FIVB World champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States proved their top-ranking for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games here Saturday morning by posting a two-set smart Grand Slam semi-final win over Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca.

With their 21-17 and 21-12 win in 39 minutes over the second-seeded Juliana and Larissa, the top-seeded May-Treanor and Walsh advanced to their first SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal match this season and their 41st since forming their partnership at the start of the 2001 season. Saturday's win was also the Americans’ 11th in 14 international Beach Volleyball meetings with Juliana and Larissa since March 2004.

In winning their 46th-straight match on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, May-Treanor and Walsh will play seventh-seeded Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China for the gold medal at US$600,000 smart Grand Slam where the men's competition concludes Sunday with semi-final and final matches in front of the German capital's main train station at the Washingtonplatz.

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UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

For the third time this season and the 41st-time in 216 events since 1987, four different countries will be represented in a SWATCH FIVB World Tour "final four" after teams from Brazil, Germany, Spain and the United States won elimination matches here Saturday at the US$600,000 smart Grand Slam.

Joining the top three-seeded teams in the semi-finals at the first of six Grand Slam events on the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour calendar are 17th-seeded Pablo Herrera and Raul Mesa. The young Spaniards gave the European country two-straight weeks of "final four" finishes on the international Beach Volleyball circuit as the smart Grand Slam concludes Sunday with the semi-final and medal matches.

Other teams advancing to the semi-finals of the 12th annual smart Grand Slam were top-seeded Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers, second-seeded Julius Brink/Christoph Dieckmann of Germany and third-seeded Emanuel Rego/Ricardo Santos of Brazil. The Americans and Germans placed third a

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UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

A day after Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh set a SWATCH FIVB World Tour team mark for gold medal finishes at 32, Brazilians Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos matched the Americans by capturing the smart Grand Slam men’s title here Sunday.

With their 25-27, 21-19 and 15-13 win in 73 minutes over Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, the third-seeded Emanuel and Ricardo denied the top-seeded pair a chance to give the United States two gold medals this weekend at the US$600,000 SWATCH FIVB World Tour in front of the city’s main train station at the Washingtonplatz.

May-Treanor and Walsh claimed the women’s gold medal Saturday afternoon by defeating Jia Tian and Jie Wang of China 21-18 and 22-20 in 45 minutes. While the Americans have won their 32 FIVB titles in 56 international starts together since 2001, Emanuel and Ricardo’s SWATCH count was achieved in 76 events since the end of the 2002 season. Both teams are the reigning Olympic champions and currently lead the qualifying for the Beijing Olympic Games.

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UFC 112: Invincible