"Chi Chi Chi, Le Le Le, Viva Chile!". Marco and Esteban Grimalt proved unstoppable Sunday, defeating Germany's Nils Ehlers/Clemens Wickler 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) to win bronze at the A1 Beach Pro Vienna 2024!
It was a thrilling match at the Red Bull Beach Arena. The Chilean cousins had played one more game in this tournament than their opponents – the only team in the last four to have to go through the Round of 12 – but their performance in no way suffered.
Marco Grimalt was an imposing presence at the net, doling out powerful spikes and solid blocks. The German duo meanwhile managed stunning saves and exploited every crack in their opponents' game to keep the score level for most of the match. A beautifully placed touch won the Chileans their first set point, nicely saved by the Germans, but the latter then gave it away on the serve. Rallies of the highest quality kept the crowd on their toes and ensured this bronze medal match was a thriller from start to finish.
"We were hungry for this medal so we are so proud!", Esteban Grimalt rejoiced after the match. The cousins now add this bronze medal to a trophy cabinet that already holds an Elite16 gold medal from Gstaad. Next stop: the Olympics in Paris in two weeks' time!
