In a dramatic upset at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in **Playa del Carmen**, Chaim Schalk and James Shaw of the United States stunned Olympic champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig to reach the semifinals. This marks a monumental moment for Schalk and Shaw, as it's only their sixth tournament together.
The American duo outlasted the top-seeded Swedes in a **grueling three-set match**, winning 2-1 (21-19, 13-21, 15-8). The victory brought an end to Sweden's remarkable streak of 11 podium finishes in their last 12 events.
Upcoming Semifinal Matches
Schalk and Shaw are set to face Argentina’s Nicolas and Tomas Capogrosso, who secured their semifinal berth by defeating Germany’s Paul Henning and Lui Wüst in straight sets (21-15, 21-15). The Argentinian brothers are riding high after earning silver in Rio and are looking for back-to-back podium appearances.
In another stunning quarterfinal upset, Cuban pair Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo came from behind to defeat current world champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner of Czechia 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 15-11). The Cubans move on to face the Dutch team of Alexander Brouwer and Steven van de Velde, who edged past Norway's Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen in a tight battle (19-21, 21-16, 15-11).
What’s Next
- Semifinal action begins on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. local time in Quintana Roo.
- Medal matches will follow later in the afternoon.
For full tournament details, visit the official Beach Pro Tour page here.
