Mexico’s Antonio Lares & Carlos Andres Ayala in action at the Veracruz Challenge.
In a thrilling kickoff to the Veracruz Challenge on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, Mexican qualifiers Antonio Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala delivered a stunning upset, sending waves of excitement through their home crowd. The dynamic duo decisively defeated the fourth-seeded Canadian team of Samuel Schachter and Jonathan Pickett in their opening main draw pool play match on Thursday, thereby securing an early progression into the tournament`s coveted knockout phase.
Dramatic Comeback Propels Mexican Pair
Despite being seeded 29th in the highly competitive 32-team main draw, Lares and Carlos Andres executed a remarkable 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-10) comeback victory. Antonio Lares was particularly instrumental, recording a match-high 25 points, an impressive tally that included eight crucial kill blocks and a well-placed ace. Their journey continues on Friday as they are set to face Spain’s Alejandro Huerta and Adrian Gavira; the winner will clinch first place in Pool D and earn a direct pass to the eighthfinals. Meanwhile, the Canadian pair of Schachter and Pickett will contend with England’s Joaquin Bello and Javier Bello in a vital survival match for third place in the pool, hoping to secure a spot in the sixteenthfinal round. Huerta and Gavira commenced their campaign strongly, achieving a 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) sweep over the Bello twins.
Match Highlights: Schachter/Pickett vs. Lares/Carlos Andres
Intense European Duels and Other Key Pool Play Results
Pool C was the stage for a spectacular all-Swiss showdown between Adrian Heidrich & Jonathan Jordan and Yves Haussener & Julian Friedli. The 19th-seeded Haussener & Friedli demonstrated immense resilience, battling back from a set down to secure a narrow 2-1 (15-21, 24-22, 16-14) victory in an extended tie-breaker. Friedli was a key contributor for the winning side with 19 points, including four kill blocks and two aces, while Heidrich led the overall match scoring with 24 points, featuring four aces and three blocks. Haussener & Friedli are now slated to challenge the third-seeded Brazilians George Wanderley & Saymon Barbosa, who previously overpowered Canadian qualifiers Tynan Gannett & Luke de Greeff with a dominant 2-0 (21-10, 21-10) shutout.
Match Highlights: Heidrich/Jordan vs. Haussener/Friedli
Another closely contested three-setter saw Portugal’s second-seeded Joao Pedrosa & Hugo Campos pushed to their limits by the 31st-seeded Norwegian qualifiers Nils Gunnar Ringoen & Even Stray Aas. The Portuguese duo, however, showcased their mettle by recovering from an initial set deficit to claim a 2-1 (16-21, 21-19, 16-14) triumph. Pedrosa was a commanding presence, tallying a match-high 27 points, including eight pivotal kill blocks. They are now set to face USA’s Robert Wyatt Harrison & Cody Caldwell in the Pool B winners’ match.
Anticipated Battles for Pool Dominance Continue
Friday promises a series of high-stakes encounters to determine the leading teams in the remaining pools. In Pool A, the top-seeded Americans Miles Evans & Chase Budinger will go head-to-head with Italy’s Enrico Rossi & Marco Viscovich. Pool E will feature an all-Italian clash as Manuel Alfieri & Alex Ranghieri compete against fifth-seeded Ukrainians Sergiy Popov & Eduard Reznik for first place. The battle for supremacy in Pool F will unfold between sixth-seeded Germans Jonas Sagstetter & Benedikt Sagstetter and Chile’s three-time Olympians Marco Grimalt & Esteban Grimalt. Pool G will see seventh-seeded Chileans Vicente Droguett & Fernando Quintero challenged by Austria’s Christoph Dressler & Philipp Waller for the top spot. Finally, the contest for the summit of Pool H will be between USA’s Chaim Schalk & James Shaw and Ruben Penninga & Matthew Immers of the Netherlands.
The men’s main draw action is scheduled to recommence on Friday at 09:00 local time (15:00 UTC) with the critical second-leg matches across all pools.
Oliver Wrenwick