Finalists set for epic end to Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rome on Sunday

Sunday will see the 2022 world champions crowned in the Italian capital

The identities of the next beach volleyball world champions are just one match away following four stunning semifinals on Saturday in Rome.

Norway’s reigning Olympic champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum’s quest for their first world title will see them face Brazilians Vitor Felipe and Renato Lima in the men’s final on Sunday.

Brazil are also represented in the women’s final which will pit Duda Lisboa and Ana Patrica Silva against Canadian pair Brandie Wilkerson and Sophie Bukovec.

Brazil stand in the way of Norwegian dream

Mol and Sørum picked up gold on the biggest stage in Tokyo last year and all eyes have been on the Norwegian stars in their mission for world glory.

Having won bronze in Hamburg in 2019, they are assured of at least a silver having beaten Brazil’s 2017 world champion Andre Loyola and George Wanderely in straight sets (21-14, 21-18) in Rome.

“This is the moment we’ve been waiting for a long time,” Mol said. “In 2009, we both watched the World Championship in Stavanger and that’s where our dream of being professional beach volleyball players started.

“Winning the World Championship gold is our season goal. We’re having a lot of fun playing in front of the fans here and can’t wait for the final.”

Meanwhile Felipe and Lima saw off the challenge of American duo Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner 21-17, 21-19 in their semifinal.

Lima has won two Under-21 world titles, and is now aiming to be the youngest men’s world champion at the age of 22.

He said: “I grew up watching guys like Alison, Vitor, George and Andre playing. It feels unreal that I am in the final.

“Playing in the World Championship was a dream for me. My career is still very short, but this is for sure the best moment of it.”

Fascinating battle awaits in women’s showpiece

Silva, 24, and Duda, 23, became the 11th Brazilian team to reach the women’s final in 13 events after their brilliant straight sets (21-19, 21-13) triumph over Switzerland’s Anouk Vergé-Dépré and Joana Heidrich.

Together the pair won the Youth Olympics in 2014 and the Under-21 world title in 2016 and 2017 but this is a first senior world final for the young Brazilians.

Duda said: “Brazil has a strong tradition in the World Championship. In Hamburg, there were a lot of new teams, it was a different moment and the results weren’t good.

“I’m glad to see our country doing well again. We have very strong teams, which can compete with anyone in the world, and we’re just very happy that we’ve been able to represent Brazil so well this time.”

They now face Wilkerson and Bukovec after the Canadian's three-set thriller tipped in their favour 21-15, 15-21, 15-12 against Germany’s Cinja Tillmann and Svenja Müller.

Playing in only their fourth event together as a team on the world st

age, the number 20 seeds’ place in the final ensures Canada will have a team in the women’s final for the second championship running after Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan struck gold in Hamburg three years ago.

Wilkerson said: “We’ve set our intentions pretty clear. We’ve been very present and mindful about what we are working on and what our goals are for the year. We’ve had excellent coaching staff to help us stay in the right mindset and focus on our foundations. As athletes we all do have expectations. We came here expecting to win just like everybody else, but managing that is either helping you or hurting you.”

Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation