The women`s semifinals at the Joao Pessoa Elite will feature thrilling matchups: Brazil`s Ana Patricia & Duda facing USA`s Cannon & Kraft, and Brazil`s Carol & Rebecca competing against USA`s Shaw & Cheng, all vying for a spot in Sunday`s final.
Sunday promises intense action at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour`s Joao Pessoa Elite, as the women`s semifinals pit two dominant forces, Brazil and the United States, against each other. The first semifinal, scheduled for 11:00 local time (14:00 UTC), will see Brazilian duo Carol Solberg & Rebecca Cavalcanti challenge Kelly Cheng & Molly Shaw from the USA. An hour later, the reigning Olympic champions, Brazil`s Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda), will clash with America`s Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft.
The American team of Kelly Cheng, a reigning world champion and two-time Olympian, and Molly Shaw, has demonstrated formidable form in Joao Pessoa, securing three consecutive victories against Brazilian opponents. Their impressive run included defeating Ana Patricia & Duda in the pool final on Friday. On Saturday, the ninth-seeded Cheng & Shaw advanced with a decisive 2-0 (21-16, 21-18) win in the round of 12 against the seventh-seeded Brazilian pair, Talita Antunes & Taiana Lima. They capped off their day with a stunning 2-1 (16-21, 21-18, 15-12) comeback victory over the top-seeded and FIVB World Ranking leaders, Thamela Coradello & Victoria Lopes, in the quarterfinals. Cheng was pivotal in that three-set match, scoring 19 points, including three crucial kill blocks, while Victoria led all scorers with 29 points, featuring three aces.
Facing Cheng & Shaw in the semifinals will be Brazil`s 11th-seeded Carol & Rebecca, who hold the second position in the World Ranking. Their Saturday campaign began with a dominant 2-0 (21-10, 21-14) win against Lithuanian qualifiers Monika Paulikiene & Aine Raupelyte in the round of 12. They followed this with another commanding 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) sweep in the quarterfinals, overcoming Latvia`s third-seeded Tina Graudina & Anastasija Samoilova. Carol was the standout performer in that match, contributing 17 points.
Brazil`s Olympic champions, Ana Patricia & Duda, also showcased their prowess on Saturday with two straight-set wins. The fourth-seeded pair secured a 2-0 (21-14, 21-15) victory against Spanish Olympians Daniela Alvarez & Tania Moreno in the round of 12. They then proceeded to deliver a ruthless 2-0 (21-10, 21-9) quarterfinal shutout against Switzerland`s fifth-seeded Anouk Verge-Depre & Zoe Verge-Depre. Ana Patricia was exceptional, achieving a match-high 19 points, including seven kill blocks and an ace.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Jasper Thornfield