Duda and Ana Patrícia secure a place in the Beach Volleyball World Cup final
Brazil's Duda and Ana Patrícia shone at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico. They beat Australian pair Mariafe and Clancy 2 sets to 0 (21/17 and 21/14) and will now play for the title against the Americans Hughes and Cheng. The final is scheduled for 7pm (Brasilia time) this Sunday (15).
As well as the title, Duda and Ana Patrícia also have the chance to secure a place at the Olympic Games in Paris. If they win the final, Brazil will qualify for the Olympic competition. The pair's campaign has been impeccable so far, with six wins in six matches and no sets lost.
This final will be a showdown between Brazil and the United States, marking the seventh time that the two nations have decided the Beach Volleyball World Cup. So far, the match is level, with three wins for each side. The record between the finalist pairs is also balanced, with two wins for each partnership.
The beach volleyball World Cup title is especially important because, as well as sporting glory, it guarantees a place at the Paris Olympics. Each country can be represented by a maximum of two pairs at the Games, and the winner of the World Championship secures at least one place for their country. The other place can be won through an Olympic ranking or the Pre-Olympic tournaments.
Another curiosity is that the next edition of the World Cup, in Adelaide, Australia, is scheduled for 2025, due to the postponement caused by the pandemic.
The decisive match will also be broadcast on Sportv 2 at 7pm (Brasília time).
The match for the men's title will be between the Czech pair Perusic/Schweiner and the Swedish pair Ahman/Hellvig.
