For the fifth time in six meetings this season, May-Treanor and Walsh fell to top-ranked Brazilians Larissa and Juliana. Sunday’s defeat in the gold-medal match of the FIVB Hague Open will be the one that sits with the Americans all off season.

 

 

 

After taking the Brazilians to three sets but losing in their first three matchups of the year, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh broke through to defeat their top rivals last month in the final of the Moscow Grand Slam. But in the two meetings since, Larissa and Juliana prevailed both times in straight sets. On Sunday, they won 21-17, 21-15.

The Americans led most of the first set, but after Brazil tied it at 17, Larissa and Juliana rattled off four straight points to take the game. In the second set, Brazil pulled away after an 8-all tie and cruised to one of their easiest wins over May-Treanor and Walsh.

It’s the sixth gold medal of the year for Larissa and Juliana, including the world title they won in June by defeating May-Treanor and Walsh in the final. It’s the fourth silver medal of the summer for the Americans, who also won three titles, but haven’t lost more finals than they won in a season since 2001.

Earlier Sunday, Brazil’s Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes crushed Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China (21-11, 21-10) for their third bronze medal of the season, and fourth medal overall. Maria and Talita will likely finish fourth in the world rankings, right behind Xue and Zhang, who have six medals on the season.

After the HP Beach Open the women will enjoy two months of rest before the final event of the 2011 FIVB Swatch World Tour season in Phuket, Thailand early November.

Semifinals’ results

Talita/Antonelli BRA [4] – May-Treanor/Walsh USA [3] 1:2
(14:21, 21:19, 10:15)
 

Xue/Zhang Xi CHN [2] – Larissa/Juliana BRA [1] 0:2
(19:21, 14:21)

Bronze medal match

Talita/Antonelli BRA [4] – Xue/Zhang Xi CHN [2] 2:0

(21:11, 21:10)

Final match

May-Treanor/Walsh USA [3] –  Larissa/Juliana BRA [1] 0:2
(17:21, 15:21)

 

source: universalsports.com/FIVB.org