Both German men's teams have reached the semi-finals at the 9th FISU Student World Championship Beach Volleyball (WUBC).

Dan John (Tübingen) and Eric Stadie (Berlin) beat Tom van Steenis and Ruben Penninga (NED) at the Center Court after three sets (16:21, 21:16, 16:14).

Tom van Steenis

Immediately thereafter, the twins Bennet and David Poniewaz (Kiel) defeated the top seeded Frenchmen Olivier Barthelemy and Romain Di Giantommaso in straight sets (21:19, 21:18).

In the semifinals, John / Stadie will meet Felix Friedl and Maximilian Trummer from Austria on Thursday afternoon at 15:55. Poniewaz / Poniewaz play against the Swiss Florian Breer and Yves Haussener at 16:45. The local matadors are expected to fill the center court with 1,500 spectators.

The duel with van Steenis / Penninga was a real challenge for John / Stadie. Because the two Dutchmen were unbeaten before in the tournament and were thus easily favored.

In the first set, the Germans found it difficult to get into the game and lost it significantly with 16:21. "Our actual match plan was to play on van Steenis. But we quickly realized that he is hotter today than Penninga and then changed the game tactics, "explains Stadie.

Steenis / Penninga

The German duo took an early lead in the second set and defended them until the set win (21:16). So it came to the 3rd and decisive sentence. Once again, John / Stadie made the better start.

However, the Germans subsequently underwent several concentration errors. The result: the Dutch were able to fend off two match points and equalize to 14:14. But John / Stadie responded confidently and made the following two points to the match win and so the semi-final move perfect. "Maybe we were a little crazy in the third set - but after the late equalizer to 14:14 we stayed cool," says Stadie

In the other quarter-finals, the Swiss Zoé Vergé-Dépré / Esmée Böbner beat the Austrians Nadine Strauss / Franziska Friedl 2: 0 (21:13, 21:15) and the Spaniards María Carro / Paula Soria won against the second Swiss team Fabienne Geiger / Anja Licka with 2: 0 (21:18, 21:18).

In the Women's Semifinal this Thursday at 17:35 the US-Americans will meet the Spaniards and at 18:35 the Canadians will meet the victorious Swiss duo.