Točs: Rivals' aggressive serving decided all-Latvian beach volleyball duel

At the European Beach Volleyball Championship taking place in the northern Polish village of Stare Jabłonki, an all-Latvian pairing faced off, with Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Kristians Fokerots defeating Edgars Točs and Gustavs Auziņš 21:16, 21:17.

After the match, Edgars Točs said serving proved to be the decisive factor. He explained that when both sides serve at a similar level, the teams can compete on equal terms, but this time his pair failed to put enough pressure on their opponents with their serve. Meanwhile, Fokerots and Pļaviņš served very aggressively and effectively, forcing Točs and Auziņš to play from a weaker reception position. Točs said he tried to disrupt the opponents at the net with jumping, which sometimes worked, but added that Auziņš should have served somewhat more aggressively too, which would have created more defensive opportunities.

21-year-old Fokerots admitted he felt extra tension ahead of the match, since in training and matches in Latvia their pair has lost to Točs and Auziņš fairly often.

Demanding schedule

For Pļaviņš and Fokerots, this is the third straight week of an intense match schedule involving two long flights. They previously won an elite tournament in Rio de Janeiro and took bronze in Hamburg. Fokerots said he felt significant fatigue during and after the Hamburg tournament, but a couple of rest days before the European Championship were enough to recover. He added that after a few days without heavy physical strain he already feels good, while he did not comment specifically on how Pļaviņš, given his age, was feeling.