The best Bulgarian beach volleyball pair Dimitar Kalchev and Dimitar Mehandzhiyski continues its successful run at the international tournamentSveti Vlas Beach Pro TourThe national team players recorded two consecutive victories in the elimination phase and deservedly found a place among the four strongest teams in the competition, which is held at Venid Beach.
In the round of 16, Kalchev and Mehandzhiyski had to overcome an all-Bulgarian obstacle. Konstantin Mitev and Georgi Antov stood against them, who earlier in the day had secured their participation in the direct eliminations after a win over Moroccans Berada and Ilias. In the local clash, however, the experience and greater confidence of the national players prevailed, and they won with2:0(21:18,21:18).
The real test for the Bulgarian pair came in the quarterfinals against Italians Marco Ulisse and Giacomo Spadoni. After losing the first set 18:21, Kalchev and Mehandzhiyski showed character and stayed in the match after a dramatic second set. The Bulgarians snatched the set 27:25 after a series of tense rallies and numerous opportunities for both teams.
The decisive third set also offered a serious battle, but the national players maintained concentration in key moments and reached victory with2:1(18:21,27:25,15:13), which sent them to the semifinals.
On Sunday at 11:00 AM, Kalchev and Mehandzhiyski will face the Serbian pair Marko Makarich and Djordje Klasnic. The two tandems already competed in the group stage, when the Serbs won 2:0, which adds extra intensity to the upcoming match.
The other semifinal will pit the Ukrainian brothers Likhatsky against the Hungarians Tari and Nimayer. The final day of the tournament begins in the morning with battles for a spot in the title match, and the men's champion will be determined in the final, scheduled for 4:00 PM.
Bulgarian fans will hope that Kalchev and Mehandzhiyski continue their winning streak and bring another success for home beach volleyball in front of their home crowd.