Kira Walkenhorst’s comeback with her partner Louisa Lippmann started with a defeat. Borger/Sude and Wickler/Ehlers, on the other hand, celebrated first-time victories. The other men’s teams started with defeats in the European Championship.
When the Olympic champion from 2016, Kira Walkenhorst, made a comeback and the best German indoor volleyball player in recent years, Louisa Lippmann, made their debut at the same time, the duo suffered a defeat. Against the Swiss Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner, the Germans were only able to keep up with one set at 0: 2 (19:21, 9:21) on Tuesday (08/16/2022).
Swiss women too strong for German duo
The two Germans were initially on an equal footing with the defending champion, Hüberli, who is joining Brunner as a new partner in Munich. The game went back and forth up to 19:19, then the opponents scored two points in a row to win the set.
The second round started extremely badly: The German duo had little to counter the powerful serves and were quickly 1:5 behind. The Swiss now showed their class and continued to pull away to 11:4. In the case of Walkenhorst and Lippmann, it was now clear that they had not yet worked in. Lippmann in particular still had problems adjusting to the changed subsoil.
Borger and Sude dominant to success
On the other hand, Karla Borger and Julia Sude were the third German beach volleyball duo to start successfully in the European Championships in the morning. The duo won their first game of the group stage with 2-0 sets (21:13, 21:14) against the Ukrainian duo Ievgeniia Baieva and Tetiana Lazarenko. The game was over after just under 33 minutes.
Borger and Sude acted dominantly from the start and were quickly ahead 10:2 in the first set. Even though the second set started tighter, the German duo gradually pulled away. In the end there was a sovereign opening success in Group F.
Women start almost perfectly
A fourth time it was 2:0 for Germany: Isabel Schneider and Sandra Ittlinger won against the Dutch women Emi van Driel and Pleun Ypma with 21:15, 22:20.
Before Borger and Sude, Chantal Laboreur and Sarah Schulz as well as Cinja Tillmann and Svenja Müller started yesterday’s European Championships without losing a set.
Ehlers and Wickler fend off four match points and win the opening match
In the men’s beach volleyball competition, Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers won their first match against the Danish duo Abell/Brinck. In a gripping third set, the best German team saved four match points and converted their first match point with an ace to make it 20:18. The Danes challenged the serve, but it still touched the baseline very delicately.
The Germans surprisingly lost the first set 18:21. In the Wickler/Ehlers got better and better and took the lead with 11:8. The Germans continued to build up this lead and won with 21:14.
Winter and Henning without a chance
The other German team around Paul Henning and Sven Winter clearly lost their first game against the strong Polish duo Bryl/Losiak. The second in the world rankings from Poland won 21:14 and 21:15 in straight sets and lived up to their role as favourites. The Germans have to get their points against other teams.
Huster and Pfretzschner also lose at the start
And Philipp Huster and Simon Pfretzschner also had nothing to gain in their opening match against the Dutchmen Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen. The two Germans clearly lost 0:2. The first set was lost at 14:21, the second at 13:21.
After a strong fight: Sowa and Pfretzschner are defeated by the favored Czechs
Robin Sowa and Lukas Pfretzschner put in a good performance in their first game and teased the favorite Czechs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner for a long time.
After the Germans narrowly lost the first set with 24:26, they won the second with 21:17. In the third, decisive set, the Czechs lived up to their role as favorites and played more ripped off than the young Germans. The 9:15 sealed the defeat of Sowa/Pfretzschner.