Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson advanced to the quarterfinals of the Montreal Elite beach volleyball pro tour competition on Friday by defeating Brazil’s Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes with a score of 21-13, 21-18. The Toronto duo, who won Olympic silver medals, now lead Pool A with a perfect 3-0 record.
“We had a clear strategy going into the game and were able to adjust and communicate effectively on the court,” Wilkerson commented. “Our strength in defense and side-out play was crucial, but ultimately, our focus is on battling it out throughout the weekend.”
On the other hand, Lea Monkhouse from Mississauga and Marie-Alex Belanger from Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez faced two defeats, leaving them at 0-3 in the tournament.
In the men’s category, Sam Schachter from Richmond Hill and Jonny Pickett from Wiarton lost to Brazil’s Andre Loyola Stein and Renato Lima with a score of 21-13, 23-21. Despite the defeat, the Canadian pair managed to secure a spot in the playoffs with a 1-2 record.
Steve Abrams from Georgetown and Cameron Chadwick from Barrie suffered a loss to Americans Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh in a close match with a final score of 21-23, 21-18, 15-12. Abrams and Chadwick are currently at 0-3 in the competition.
The tournament action will continue until Sunday at Parc Jean-Drapeau.