Czech Beach volleyball Duo Stuns World Cup Favorites, advances to Quarterfinals
Adelaide, Australia – The Czech Republic’s beach volleyball team has delivered a major upset at the World Cup, defeating highly-ranked opponents and securing a spot in the quarterfinals. The duo, comprised of a player returning to top-level competition after a four-year hiatus dedicated to studies and her current partner, are now set to face defending gold medalists Molly Shaw and Kelly Cheng of the United states on Thursday at 11:30 CET, live on Sporty TV.
This unexpected success story highlights the potential of pairing experienced players with emerging talent. The Czech player, three years older than her partner, previously enjoyed success in her youth but stepped away from the sport to focus on her education.Reunited with her partner last fall, after a previous season with Markéta Svozilová and a recent pairing with Maixnerová, she is rediscovering her form and contributing to a team exceeding expectations. “She certainly didn’t have it easy. but Marťa is an remarkable talent with great ball control, which she hasn’t lost. She just needed to get used to the pace of training, deal with the pain after such a break,” her teammate commented. “We trained together last year and we got on right away. I knew it was an investment for the future, but I didn’t expect it to pay off so quickly.”
Despite their impressive run, the Czech team hasn’t yet played on the center court in Adelaide, currently scheduled for court number two in the round of 16. The player views this as added motivation. “I took it as motivation that we have to win to play in the center, so they want to give me another motivation.It’s beautiful, I would like to play there, but we play very well at doubles and we’re doing well, so I’m not complaining,” she said.Looking ahead to the match against Shaw and Cheng, she expressed confidence: “If we start with the same commitment, I believe we can torment them. We have already shown ourselves that everything is absolutely possible.”
