Four women's beach volleyball pairs have shaken up the competition at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Xiamen Challenge by dominating their pools—despite starting the tournament as qualifiers. These unexpected victories have not only turned heads but also disrupted the predictions for the event.
Ukraine's duo Yeva Serdiuk and Daria Romaniuk, who entered the main draw as the lowest-ranked team, made the boldest statement. They stunned fans with a straight-sets victory over top-seeded Chinese team Xue Chen and Zeng Jinjin. Following that, they defeated Australia's Olympic medalist Taliqua Clancy and her new partner Jana Milutinovic to top Pool A.
Other notable surprises came from the following teams:
- USA’s Savannah Simo and Abby Van Winkle (29th seed) stormed through Pool D, securing close wins, including a tight three-setter against Australia's Alchin and Johnson.
- Germany’s Linda Bock and Louisa Lippmann (24th seed) won all their matches in Pool H, showing tactical prowess against teams from Japan and the United States.
- France’s Lezana Placette and Alexia Richard (18th seed) advanced in Pool B, aided by a walkover after an injury to China’s Xia Xinyi and Wang Jingzhe.
In a stunning shake-up, none of the top eight seeded teams won their respective pools. Notable exits include China’s Xue & Zeng and Australia’s Fleming & Fejes—teams expected to go deep into the tournament. The dominance of rising teams reflects a shift in women’s beach volleyball dynamics and suggests a more level playing field ahead.
As the event moves into the Round of 16 this Friday, the four unexpected pool winners have earned a bye and will observe their potential opponents with growing confidence.
For full tournament coverage and updates, visit the official site at Volleyball World.
