Mixed silver for Barbara & Fernanda
The Brazilians were proud of their result, but know they could have won the big prize
After the first set of the women's final of the A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch, Barbara Seixas and Fernanda Berti seemed poised to hang another gold medal in their necks as they were in complete control of the game against Czech Republic's Marketa Sluková and Barbora Hermannová.
However, things change quickly in beach volleyball and the Europeans came back to deny the Brazilians what would be their second title in the 2018 Beach Major Series season following their victory at the Fort Lauderdale Major, in March.
"We are a little bit frustrated because we started the match really well," a disappointed Barbara said after the game. "We were really focused on our strategy and it was working, but they were more patient than us and that helped them to go through their difficulties. I was too anxious to put the ball on the ground and sometimes I didn't really understand what was going on."
The Brazilians were obviously frustrated as they saw the bigger prize slip out of their hands after a dominating first set, but they had no problem on praising their opponents for the turnaround that changed the game.
"It's just part of the game and they are a great team," Fernanda stated. "They knew how to battle out of a difficult situation and come back to the game and they deserve all the credits for this. I think we slowed down during the game and they served better than us and that was the difference."
Their second final appearance in as many Beach Major Series events in 2018, however, made the team proud of their week in Vienna. After being forced to miss the Swatch Major Gstaad three weeks ago, confirming their place among beach volleyball elite was just reassuring.
"We are happy with the silver," Barbara commented. "We needed a good result here because we didn't play Gstaad. We brought everything we had here and I think we did a good job. Getting to the final meant we had a successful week here. But we'll learn our lessons and improve as a team."
Author: @grtorres