Latvian beach volleyball duo Mārtiņš Pļaviņš / Edgars Točs wins in Pärnu

The tournament was originally scheduled to run for two days, but a severe storm hit Pärnu on Saturday, and it was not possible to hold the tournament in such weather. Sunday’s conditions improved and games could take place, but it was decided that one set would require 15 points instead of 21.

The main tournament was attended by 16 duets in each gender group, which were divided into four subgroups of four pairs each. The group winners immediately advanced to the quarterfinals, while the second and third place winners distributed four more tickets to the top eight.

Pļaviņš / Točs won the subgroup and defeated Timo Lehmus / Dmitrijs Korotkovs 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Arnis Reliņš / Ardis Daniels Bedrītis also overcame the quarterfinals, gaining a 2-0 lead over Ēriks Kaisa / Rasmusus Meius.

Both Latvian duos were strong in the semi-finals, but the surprise was missed, and Pļaviņš / Točs won 2-0. Also, Latvia’s leading pair did not give the opponents a chance in the final, beating Marta Tīsārs / Karlis Alliks 2-0.

In the bronze duel, Reliņš / Bedrītis played Lithuanian Artūrs Vasiljevs / Roberts Juhņevičs 2-1.

Kristīne Briede / Krista Paegle and Marta Ozoliņa / Luīze Skrastiņa reached the quarterfinals of the Latvian women’s tournament. Briede / Paegle entered the top four, conceding to the Dutch and Finnish duo Helena Hollasa / Lisa Sometsa in the semi-finals, but defeating the Lithuanians Ieva Vasilkaitė / Daniela Kvedaraite in the bronze duel.

At the end of June, Pļaviņš / Točs and Varvara Brailko / Anete Namiķe celebrated their victories in the tournament in Tallinn.

Last week, the Latvian beach volleyball season was opened in Ventspils, in the first stage of which Aleksandrs Samoilovs / Jānis Šmēdiņš and Tīna Graudiņa / Anastasija Kravčenoka won the laurels. Next weekend there will be a stage in Jurmala.