Americans Cash In On Phuket Volleyball Win

[george]

Americans cash in on Phuket volleyball win

Phuket Thailand Open gold medal winners for the

second-straight year are April Ross (left) and Jen Kessy

of the United States.

The first-ever Russian women's SWATCH

FIVB World Tour medal went to third-place

finishers Evgenia Ukolova (left) and Maria

Bratkova.

KARON, PHUKET: -- With a masterful performance, the American pair of Jen Kessy and April Ross captured their second-straight Phuket Thailand Open title on Karon Beach yesterday, walking off the sand with the winners’ check of US$30,000.

The top-seeded Kessy and Ross finished their four days of competition by downing compatriots Angie Akers and Tyra Turner with clinical precision in the 37-minute final, 21-12 and 21-17.

Playing with the poise of true champions, it was all business for Kessy and Ross.

The match was the seventh FIVB meeting between the two teams and Kessy and Ross have finished on the winning side each time.

Yesterday’s championship match also marked the third-straight all-American finale for the Phuket Thailand Open.

It was the sixth SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal for Kessy and Ross since forming their partnership in 2007.

Ms Akers was competing in her first-ever gold medal match. She and Turner split the US$21,000 second-place prize.

Turner was competing in her second Phuket Thailand Open title match. Ms Turner also appeared in last year’s final with Nicole Branagh, losing to Kessy and Ross 18-21, 21-14 and 15-12 in 63 minutes.

In the bronze medal match, 22nd-seeded Maria Bratkova and Evgenia Ukolova secured Russia’s first-ever women’s podium finish, much to the delight of a large contingent of Russian supporters who turned out for the match.

Riding the wave of support, the pair struggled back from one set down to win 15-21, 22-20 and 15-9 win in 53 minutes over 17th-seeded Lauren Fendrick and Ashley Ivy of the United States.

The win denied the Americans what would have been their third podium sweep in the 18-year history of the international beach volleyball circuit.

Bratkova and Ukolova were crowded by autograph seekers after the exciting win.

But the undisputed star of the tournament was Ms Ross, who was awarded the tournament MVP prize.

Her powerful, laser-like serves put Akers and Turner on the back foot as they did the five pairs that fell before them.

After a great deal of passion in the third place final, the final came off more like an exhibition, as there was no national partisanship in the all-American encounter.

Among the VIPs in attendance were Permanent Secretary for Interior and Former Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi, current Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop and his wife Taiseka, Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Paiboon Ubatising, Kata Group Director and sport tourism pioneer Eam Thavornwongwongse, event organizer Geoffrey Rowe of Pentangle Promotions and Karon Mayor Tawee Tongcham.

Karon Deputy Mayor Sompong Darbpeth said after the match that he was very happy with the all of the organizational elements of the event, though he was a little disappointed with the crowd turnout.

The stadium was only about 75% full for the free-admission final match. About half of the crowd was made up of foreigners.

Asked whether the stadium construction harmed the large sand dunes that largely spared Karon from the 2004 tsunami disaster, Mr Sompong said the improvements had been carefully carried out with respect to the environment.

No concrete or permanent structures were involved and the dunes face more damage from erosion from heavy monsoon-season surf, he said.

This year’s tournament was the largest on the 16-stop SWATCH FIVB tour, with 66 teams from 28 countries taking part.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-09

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[NBT TV Phuket]

VDO News & interview Beach Volleyball winners Phuket Thailand Open

VDO on http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...hp?news_id=1262

or

The US beach volleyball women teams won 1st, 2nd & 4th, while Russia won 3rd place in the Phuket Thailand Open at Karon last weekend.

Last Sunday, the Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop & a big crowd arrived at the enlarged volleyball area beside Karon beach, for the finals of the Phuket Thailand Open powered by PTT, the biggest in size with record number of 66 teams from 28 countries taking part on the Swatch FIVB World Tour for women's beach volleyball. The finals were beamed live by NBT TV nationwide & worldwide with recordings bringing a potential amazing audience of over 2 billion. In the 3rd/4th place match, Maria Bratkova and Evgenia Ukolova of Russia (in white) won their country's’ first-ever bronze medals with a lot of support from Russian fans in the crowd. They came back from one set down to win 15-21, 22-20 and 15-9 win in an exciting 53 minutes against Lauren Fendrick and Ashley Ivy of USA. In the main final for 1st & 2nd place, another American team was guaranteed to win with Jen Kessy and April Ross (in red) defending their Phuket win last year, against fellow Americans Angie Akers and Tyra Turner. In the comparatively quieter & easier 37-minute final, Kessy & Ross won 21-12 and 21-17 and duly collected the winners’ cheque of US$30,000 while Akers & Turner got US$21,000 for second-place. After the presentation the winners told us it was tough tournament but straight forward final and they were impressed with the Phuket sand & organisation: voice winners: "It was a very tough tournament .... thank you."

item--2--- The JW Marriott beach volleyball team won the 1st hotel amateur contest held during the Phuket Thailand Open at Karon.

The amateur contest for local Phuket hotel female teams was held during the Phuket Thailand Open for the 1st time ever on a Swatch World Tour event and due to its popularity and good atmosphere will probably be repeated in other locations next year, with international teams participating in Phuket, the main coach & organiser Bob Selznich told Andaman News. Similar to the professionals' finals, the 3rd/4th place final was closer & hotter than the main final, with Le Meridien (in yellow) beating Centara by 29-27 for the bronze medals in a nail biting finish for vocal supporters & hotel staff in the stands. In the main final, JW Marriott (in orange) won more easily by 25-11 against Phuket Orchid, with help from their drum banging colleagues watching in the grandstand. The amateur teams were congratulated by the professional winners and received trophies & prizes from sponsors Federbrau. 'Por' Ratthikarn Hanpipat, Recreation Attendant of the winning JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa team told us they only had one week training together on cement courts and were not used to playing on the hot sand: voice "Today is quite hot... OK."

Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV

channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm, 1.30am & 6.30am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Friday 13 November 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews