USA's Rogers/Scott net FIVB China fourth

Despite dropping both of their matches on Sunday (May 23) in the $180,000 SWATCH-FIVB Beach World Tour event, Todd Rogers and Sean Scott helped themselves in their pursuit of a beach volleyball spot on the 2004 United States Olympic Team for the Athens Games.

Seeded 10th in the main draw after qualifying Thursday for the "money" rounds, Rogers and Scott dropped matches to teams from Spain and Brazil Sunday to place fourth and post their best-ever finish on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour together. Playing in their 19th international event together, Rogers and Scott's previous best placements were fifths.

In addition to earning $11,000 in the third international event of the 2004 season, Rogers and Scott also improved their point total on the United States Olympic qualifying list for the Athens 2004 Games by erasing a 120-point finish from earlier in the process with a 252-point placement this weekend.

Spain captured its first-ever SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour gold medal when 22nd-seeded Javier Bosma and Pablo Herrera upset top-seeded Emanuel and Ricardo, the 2003 FIVB World Champions, for the second-time this weekend to share the $27,000 first-place prize. Prior to the 15-21, 21-19 and 21-19 gold medal win in 66 minutes Sunday, Bosma and Herrera had defeated the Brazilians 24-22 and 21-19 Saturday to qualify for the semifinals.

Playing in only their seventh the international event together, the Spaniards placed fifth at the South Africa stop in March for their previous best FIVB placement. Emanuel and Ricardo, who placed first and second in the first two international events this season in Brazil and South Africa, split $18,000 for their silver medal finish. Sunday's title match setback was the second defeat in eight FIVB finals for Emanuel and Ricardo, who had won six international gold medal matches in a row before losing to fellow Brazilians Tande Ramos and Franco Neto in the South Africa finale.

After defeating fourth-seeded Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel of Switzerland Saturday to their first international "final four" berth, Rogers and Scott dropped a semifinal matches to Bosma and Herrera 21-17 and 21-18 in 47 minutes. Pedro Cunha and Pará Ferreira of Brazil ended Rogers and Scott's Sunday by defeating the Americans 21-10 and 21-17 in a 39-minute bronze medal match.

In an All-Brazilian semifinal, Cunha and Para dropped a 21-14 and 21-17 decision to top-seeded Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos in 46 minutes. Cunha and Para, who had to also qualify for the main draw this week like Rogers and Scott, shared $14,000 for their bronze medal finish.

Seeded 22nd in the main draw, Cunha and Para posted a 7-1 mark this week and advanced to the "final four" by also defeating Rogers and Scott Saturday (19-21, 27-25 and 22-20) in the longest match (73 minutes) of the double-elimination event.

"We had a decent draw and we're able to capitalize on it," said Scott about this week's competition. "I think the win on the AVP Tour last month helped us mentally. In general, I think the FIVB is tougher due to the travel and the different style of play. The key to our success is siding out, and trying to slow our opponent's attack and service game. Playing in the qualifier helped us mentally, but physically, my body could do without the extra game."

Rogers and Scott are second on the United States Olympic qualifying list with 1,600 points for their best eight finishes since the start of the Olympic-qualifying process in January 2003. Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard top the American list and placed seventh this week to improve their Olympic point total to 2,188 points.

Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger, who placed 17th this weekend, rank third on the United States Olympic qualifying list with 1,404 points for five Olympic-qualifying events. Eric Fonoimoana, who won the gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and Kevin Wong still have a chance for the second USA spot as the pair has compiled 746 Olympic qualifying points for five events after placing fifth this weekend.

Currently the No. 1-ranked team on the domestic AVP Tour, Rogers and Scott placed ninth and 17th in the first two SWATCH-FIVB World Tour events in March. Rogers and Scott returned to the domestic tour in April and May to place third, first and second. Scott won his first-ever pro beach title when he teamed with Rogers to capture the AVP event in Tempe, Ariz., April 25. Rogers has won nine pro beach crowns.

The week's event is the first international tournament for men in China, which has hosted women's events the past six seasons (Dalian 1998-2000, Maoming 2001-2002 and Lianyungang 2003). China will host another women's event next week in Shanghai while the men play in the Serbia and Montenegro Open at Buda. Other men's Olympic qualifying events prior to July 11 will be held in Portugal, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Germany and Norway.

For more information on FIVB beach volleyball, go to the FIVB web site.