EEVZA Final in Russia

A few days after the sandy battles of the Russian Championship Final have finished in Anapa, sport-complex "Volley Grad", located in the village of Vityazevo in Krasnodar region of Russia, is ready to host second consecutive big beach-volleyball competition - an Open Cup of Russia and Eastern Europe.

According to the event's formula top-8 teams from the Russian tour's Final get the direct tickets to the Cup . Another 6 places are booked by the teams from Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA), the last two positions are given with a special Wild cards. All finalists of Russian championship, finished the previous event in the top eight, of course, took the chance and entried to the Cup. But some pairs were changed. The new crowned Russian champion Konstantin Semenov will perform together with his old partner Alexei Pastukhov. Semenov and Pastukhov have played together on Russian tour and also World Tour in 2010. As for Semenov's partner for the Finals - two-time Russian champion Alexander Samoilovs from Latvia, he will reunion with Martins Plavins, who also participated at Russian Finals together with Pastukhov (5th place). Last year this duo from Latvia have won the Russian Cup here in Anapa. A week ago Alexander Samoilovs was able to confirm one of his Russian titles of 2010. Will he manage to do the same this week-end?

The most famous foreigner of last week - Brazilian Harley will not star at the Cup. Harley flew at home with his coach. Alexander Likholetov will change already fifth partner for the season of 2011. Now he it will be Maxim Khudyakov, who has won one of the stages of Russian tour in Kazan this year. The couple will play for VC "Birds." The largest representation in the men's tournament got VC "VTSMO" - 3 pairs. In women, the same amount of tickets were given to the girls from "Obninsk". There are some changes in the list of women teams from Moscow region - Galina Boyko at this event will perform with Natalia Uryadova (European champion of 2006) and Svetlana Popova p will lay along with Olga Motrich. There is also another European champion of 2006 - Alexandra Moiseeva recently moved to the club "Paris Hilton" and her partner at the Cup will be Maria Bratkova.

Regarding to the foreign couples, in the men's grid they used their full quota - 6 teams, the number of women EEVZA teams is 4. Will arrive in Anapa the 2009 European Champions in Sochi Latvian Inguna Minusa - Inese Jursone, also one pair from Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In the men's tournament will play some pairs with experience of starring at the SWATCH FIVB World Tour - Babich/Ioysher from Ukraine and Belarus Dyadkov/Zharikov. Ukraine has delegated to Anapa three teams, another duo received a Wild card from EEVZA - Kazakhstan's Kuleshov/Yakovlev.

The Open Cup of Russia will begin on Friday morning. 16 men and women pairs will be divided into four groups, the first two duets from each pool will go into the playoffs. The names of the winners will be announced on Sunday, September 11. Holders of the first places will receive checks for 5.500$. From this year the Russian championship received an Open status. The stages of this tour were held not only in Russia but also in neighboring countries of Eastern Europe. The Russian Cup in Anapa will be a Final of inaugural EEVZA beach-volley tour, staged from 2011 together with EEVZA and Russian volleyball federation.