Latvians stun US champions
BEIJING - Aleksandrs Samoilovs stood on the sand waiting for his Olympic debut as the announcer at the beach volleyball venue read through the litany of honors won by his opponents, gold medal favorites Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser.
Best hitter. Best blocker. Best setter. Best defensive player. Most improved player.
Reigning world champions.
"We thought we had no chance," the Latvian said yesterday after he and Martins Plavins upset the Americans, 21-19, 21-18, on the opening day of the beach volleyball tournament.
"Of course we were afraid of them, because the last time we played them they beat us, 21-8 [and 21-14]," Samoilovs said. "We put all our energies into this match and we had one of the best games of our careers."
Former junior world champions, the youngest team in the tournament, and the 23d seed in a 24-team field, Plavins and Samoilovs ended the Americans' 21-game international winning streak. Now Rogers and Dalhausser may need to win their next two matches in pool play to reach the medal round.
"Not the way we wanted to start off the Olympics," Dalhausser said.
The Latvians won the first set in the best-of-three match and led, 17-12, before the Americans made it 20-18 on a vicious spike by Dalhausser. But on the next volley, the two-time winner of the international tour's best blocker honor went up for the stuff and the ball went off the side of his arm and to the ground.
Plavins dropped to his knees and pumped his fist, while Samoilovs fetched a Latvian flag to wave.
"They played great, and we played poorly. That combination, we got spanked," Rogers said.
In other action, Sascha Heyer and Patrick Heuscher of Switzerland beat Martin Alejo Conde and Mariano Baracetti of Argentina, 21-13, 21-17. David Klemperer and Eric Koreng of Germany beat Norway's Jorre Andre Kjemperud and Tarjei Skarlund, 19-21, 22-20, 15-7. (AP) 