The Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Joao Pessoa is abuzz with excitement as a captivating Scandinavian rivalry takes center stage in the men`s Round of 12. French duos have already delivered notable upsets, intensifying the competition in Brazil.
Norwegian beach volleyball stars Anders Mol and Christian Sorum in action at the Joao Pessoa Elite16.
This Saturday, a highly anticipated clash will headline the men`s Round of 12 at the Joao Pessoa Elite16 on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. The world`s top-ranked and highly experienced Norwegian duo, Anders Mol & Christian Sorum, are set to face the promising young Swedish team of Jacob Holting Nilsson & Elmer Andersson, currently ranked fourth globally.
French Teams Ignite Tournament with Major Upsets
In a surprising turn of events, Argentina’s Nicolas Capogrosso & Tomas Capogrosso, the world`s third-ranked team, were eliminated in Friday’s Round of 18. French qualifiers Remi Bassereau & Calvin Aye, seeded 21st in the main draw, achieved a decisive 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) victory over the 15th-seeded Argentinians. Bassereau was a key performer, delivering a match-high 20 points, which included an impressive seven kill blocks and an ace. Following this remarkable win, Bassereau & Aye will now challenge the second-seeded Dutch pair, Stefan Boermans & Yorick de Groot, who emerged as Pool B winners.
Mol & Sorum Bounce Back with Strong Performance
After an unexpected third-place finish in their pool, top-seeded Mol & Sorum have found their stride. They secured a hard-fought 2-0 (23-21, 21-17) win against Germany’s Lukas Pfretzschner & Sven Winter in their initial knockout match. This victory sets the stage for their exciting encounter with the fourth-seeded Swedish youngsters Holting Nilsson & Andersson. Christian Sorum was the top scorer for his team, amassing 19 points purely from powerful offensive swings.
Overview of Other Key Round of 12 Matchups
- Another French team, Teo Rotar & Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, advanced to the Round of 12 by defeating American Olympians Miles Evans & Chase Budinger 2-0 (21-15, 23-21). They are slated to challenge the eighth-seeded Dutch duo, Steven van de Velde & Alexander Brouwer, who won Pool E.
- Two of the three host country teams survived the first elimination round. Brazilian qualifiers Vinicius Freitas & Heitor Barbosa were granted a forfeit victory after their Polish opponents Michal Bryl & Bartosz Losiak withdrew due to injury. This sets up an all-Brazilian Round of 12 contest against compatriots George Wanderley & Saymon Barbosa.
- Sixth-seeded Brazilians Evandro Oliveira & Arthur Mariano Lanci, who finished sixth in Pool F, progressed to the Round of 12 with a 2-0 (22-20, 21-11) win over Norway’s Mathias Berntsen & Hendrik Mol. Their next challenge will be the 24th-seeded Portuguese qualifiers, Joao Pedrosa & Hugo Campos.
- Reigning Olympic champions David Ahman & Jonatan Hellvig of Sweden, seeded fourth, recovered from their earlier pool play loss to George & Saymon. They delivered a commanding 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) shutout against Brazilian qualifiers Andre Stein & Renato Lima. The Swedish jump-setters will now face the undefeated Austrian qualifiers Timo Hammarberg & Tim Berger.
Saturday`s men`s competition in Joao Pessoa promises a full day of thrilling beach volleyball, with matches for both the Round of 12 and the quarterfinals scheduled to commence at 09:00 local time (12:00 UTC).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick