Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann Triumph in Vienna Elite16
Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann picked the perfect moment to win their first Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour title in the 2024 season, as the German duo triumphed in the Vienna Elite16 – the final tournament before the Paris Olympics – on Saturday.
Flawless Performance Leads to Gold
Partners since 2022, the two will head to the French capital in excellent form. They not only overcame competition from eight other Olympic duos to claim gold in the Austrian capital, but also achieved it with a flawless campaign, securing six victories and dropping just one set throughout the tournament.
In the semifinals, the bronze medalists from the 2022 World Championships continued their dominant run, sweeping Brazilians Ágatha Bednarczuk and Rebecca Cavalcanti 2-0 (21-13, 21-14). In the gold medal match, Müller and Tillmann needed just two sets (21-14, 21-18) to defeat Swiss Olympic medalists Joana Mäder and Anouk Vergé-Dépré.
A Special Victory for Tillmann
This victory was just the second international title for Müller and Tillmann in 26 Beach Pro Tour events, following their win at the Ostrava Elite16 in 2022. It also marked their first podium appearance in the 2024 season. The win was particularly special for Tillmann, who celebrated her 33rd birthday with a gold medal around her neck.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday,” Tillmann said. “We tried to communicate as much as possible, and it worked. The Swiss served and blocked really well, but I think that today we played perhaps our best match of the season, and that’s exciting, considering this is the last tournament before the Olympics.”
Americans Cannon and Kraft Secure Third
Americans Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft earned their second consecutive podium finish on the Beach Pro Tour, securing third place in Vienna. The duo, who took silver the previous week in Gstaad, triumphed over Ágatha and Rebecca in the bronze medal match, winning 2-0 (21-16, 22-20).
“It’s been exciting,” Cannon reflected. “Megan was a left-sided blocker before we started playing together, so she had to change positions completely. The fact that we managed to still have success against such competitive teams is just so fun. I love playing next to her, and we’re excited to see where we go.”
As the final Elite16 event before the Paris Olympics, the Vienna tournament showcased top-level performances as teams continue to fine-tune their skills ahead of the main event of the year.
