Swiss Duo Brunner and Hüberli Claim Gold in Thrilling BPT Hamburg Final
Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli continued their exceptional form, adding another milestone to their remarkable 2024 season by winning the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Hamburg Elite16 on Sunday. The Olympic bronze medalists displayed incredible resilience to defeat Germany’s Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann in a nail-biting gold medal match, 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 18-16), in front of a roaring home crowd at the Am Rothenbaum Stadium.
A Hard-Fought Victory
The Swiss duo faced immense pressure from the German pair, who were fueled by the energy of thousands of passionate fans. The match went down to the wire, with Hüberli delivering crucial plays in the tie-breaker. She saved a match point at 15-14 with a decisive block and followed it up with two consecutive hitting points, including the game-winner.
“I was a bit hesitant on my side-out earlier, but that block gave me so much confidence,” Hüberli said. “After that, I stopped overthinking. When the free ball came for the last point, I just wanted to play it quickly, and it worked out perfectly.”
A Breakthrough Season
This victory marks only the second Beach Pro Tour gold for Brunner and Hüberli, who claimed their first international title just four months ago at the Tepic Elite16. Their partnership, which began nine years ago, has reached new heights in 2024. In addition to their Olympic bronze, the duo also secured silver at the Espinho Elite16 in May.
“Winning in Tepic was huge for us,” Brunner reflected. “We had to fight so hard for it, and it gave us the stability and confidence we needed in tight matches. We’re thrilled to have won again here in Hamburg.”
German Duo Falls Short of Home Glory
Müller and Tillmann, fresh off their European Championship gold last week, saw their 12-match winning streak come to an end in the final. Despite the loss, the German pair claimed their second medal of the season, having won gold at the Vienna Elite16 in July. Their performance in Hamburg was a testament to their consistency, even though they couldn’t end Germany’s podium drought in the event since 2017.
Brazilian Pair Shines in Bronze Medal Match
In the bronze medal match, Brazil’s Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes made an impressive debut as a team, defeating Italian Olympians Marta Menegatti and Valentina Gottardi 2-0 (21-19, 21-19). This marked their first Elite16 medal as a duo and only their second tournament together.
“This is incredible for us,” Victoria said. “To win a medal in just our second tournament together is amazing. It gives us so much motivation to keep working hard for the rest of the season.”
For Thamela, this was her second Elite16 medal, having previously won gold in Cape Town in 2022 with veteran Talita Antunes.
Looking Ahead
After an intense few weeks of competition, players will now have nearly two months to recover before the final two Elite16 events of the season. The tournaments will be held in Brazil, with João Pessoa hosting from October 16-20 and Rio de Janeiro welcoming teams from November 6-10.
Brunner and Hüberli’s victory in Hamburg not only solidifies their status as one of the top teams in the world but also sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2024 beach volleyball season.
