Graudiņa and Samoilova Face Off in Saulkrasti Final: 'Interesting to Play Against Each Other'
Beach volleyball partners Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Samoilova will compete on opposite sides of the net in the final of the 'Saulkrastu kokteilis' tournament on Sunday.
The 'Saulkrastu kokteilis' beach volleyball tournament will feature a special final on Sunday, as regular partners Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Samoilova will play against each other. Graudiņa noted the heightened intrigue surrounding the match.
"People are talking about it, and I'm also interested because we haven't played against each other before, only in youth competitions," said Graudiņa. She highlighted the tournament's unique atmosphere and expressed hope that the tradition continues for many years.
Samoilova added: "I really want to play at night and I really want to win!" She explained that they have been training together recently but will now be opponents. "We'll see how it goes. We've never had this experience before."
Graudiņa mentioned that the 'Saulkrastu kokteilis' serves as a dress rehearsal before the Gstaad tournament in Switzerland. "Of course, we want to win," she said. After this, the duo will reunite for the European Championship.
The tournament has been held for over 30 years. Last year's women's champions were Graudiņa and Samoilova.
