Brazil Versus USA For Women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship Marseille, France (July 23, 1999) - For the second-straight women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, it will be Brazil and the United States battling for the medals as a pair of teams from each country earned semi-final berths here Friday (July 23) before 10,000 spectatotrs on the Plage du Prado courts. Brazilian tandems of Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel and Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede will battle in the second-semi-final match Satiurday after the United States teams of Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs and Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan meet in the opening semi-final match of the $600,000 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. The two countries battled for the 1997 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship as Pires and Jackie Silva defeated Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak for the Gold Medal. Both teams advanced to the finals by defeating teams from their country as Pires and Silva bested Behar and Bede while Arce and McPeak defeated Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno in the semi-finals. The Brazilians are the top two ranked teams on the women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour and will be playing for the eighth-time with Behar and Bede holding a 4-3 edge. Pires and Samuel won the 1998 Marseille event by scoring 12-9 and 12-7 wins over Behar and Bede in the finals. The third-seeded Pires and Samuel, the only team of the top 12-seeded tandems to survive the first three days of the women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships unbeaten, advanced to the semi-finals by defeating 15th-seeded Yukiko Takahashi and Teru Saiki of Japan 15-4 in 30 minutes Friday. It was the fourth-straight win by the Brazilians over Takahashi and Teru Saiki, including a 15-12 win last month in Canada. Pires and Samuel earned their third-straight semi-final appearance this season after advancing to the final rounds in Mexico and Canada. The Brazilians have now advanced to nine semi-finals in 10 FIVB starts together with two Gold Medal finishes, including a win last season in Canada where they also defeated Behar and Bede in the finals 17-16. Top-seeded Behar and Bede earned a berth in Saturday's second semi-final by avenging an earlier defeated to 16th-seeded Ulrike Schmidt and Gudula Staub by defeating the Germans 15-7 in 45 minutes. The No. 1-ranked team on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, Behar and Bede defeated both sixth-seeded Debora Schoon Kadijk and Rebekka Kadijk (15-10) and 10th-seeded Maike Friedrichsen and Danja Musch of Germany (15-2) earlier Friday. Masakayan and Youngs of the United States advanced to the semi-finals with a 15-12 win over Schmidt and Staub, who had defeating Behar and Bede 15-10 Wednesday. Buckner Davis and Johnson Jordan advanced with a 15-6, 35-minute win over the 15th-seeded Takahashi and Teru Saiki. The 44-minute match saw the 13th-seeded Masakayan and Youngs advance to their second FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour "final four" in nine international starts together. Friday's win was also the Americans' second win over Schmidt and Staub in as many matches between the two teams. "This is a great win for us after finishing 25th in our last international start in Canada last month," said Youngs. "We have had the breaks in this tournament. We have been pointing to this event all season. In addition to a big purse, the World Championships are worth valuable points in our drive to the Olympics. The win over the Germans was pleasing since they have posted upset wins in their last two matches." Second-seeded Pauline Manser and Kerri Pottharst, who were upset 16-14 by Takahashi and Teru Saiki Wednesday, were eliminated from the competition after dropping a 15-6 decision to Buckner Davis and Johnson Jordan. Manser and Pottharst finished second to Bede and Behar in the 1999 women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour opener in Mexico before missing June's Canada event with due to Manser's knee surgery. Buckner Davis and Johnson Jordan defeated 29th-seeded Amanda Glover and Audrey Cooper of England 15-10 to open play Friday. The youthful Americans have now earned their second-straight trip to a FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour after earning the Bronze Medal in Canada last month. The women's semi-finals will be played at approximately 10:40 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The Bronze Medal match is set for 3 p.m. Saturday with the winning team earning $24,000 for third-place. The Gold Medal match will start at 5 p.m. with the final two teams battling for the $60,000 first-place prize. FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Women's Main Draw Results Marseille, France (July 23, 1999) - Here are the Main Draw results from the third of four days of the 1999 women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships here Friday (July 23). The $600,000 (US FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, the third of six women's events on the 1999 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, concludes Saturday. Friday's Loser's Bracket, Fourth-Round (losers eliminated, place ninth, split $7,500) + Pauline Manser/Kerri Pottharst, Australia (2) def. Adriana Bento/Monica Paludo, Brazil (21, 2), 15-5 (30 minutes), + Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, United States (8) def. Amanda Glover/Audrey Cooper, England (29, 15), 15-5 (20). + Maike Friedrichsen/Danja Musch, Germany (10) won by forfeit over Natalie Cook/Angela Clarke, Australia (11); + Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (1) def. Debora Schoon Kadijk/Rebekka Kadijk, Netherlands (6), 15-10 (32). Friday's Winner's Bracket, Fourth-Round (winner's advance to Saturday's Semi-finals + Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs, United States (13) def. Ulrike Schmidt/Gudula Staub, Germany (16), 15-12 (44); + Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel), Brazil (3) def. Yukiko Takahashi/Teru Saiki, Japan (15), 15-4 (30). Friday's Loser's Bracket, Fifth-Round (losers eliminated, place seventh, split $9,000) + Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, United States (8) def. Pauline Manser/Kerri Pottharst, Australia (2), 15-6 (27); + Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (1) def. Maike Friedrichsen/Danja Musch, Germany (10), 15-2 (25). Friday's Loser's Bracket, Sixth-Round (winners advance to Saturday's semi-finals; losers eliminated, place fifth, split $13,500) + Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, United States (8) def. Takahashi/Teru Saiki, Japan (15), 15-6 (35); + Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (1) def. Ulrike Schmidt/Gudula Staub, Germany (16), 15-7 (45). Saturday's Semi-Finals + Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs, United States (13) vs. Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, United States (8); + Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel), Brazil (3) vs. Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (1). Saturday's Bronze Medal Match (winners place third, split $24,000; loser's place fourth, split $18,000) + Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs, United States (13) vs. Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, United States (8) loser vs. Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel), Brazil (3) vs. Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (1) loser. Saturday's Gold Medal Match (winners place first, split $60,000; loser's place fourth, split $39,000) + Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs, United States (13) vs. Annett Buckner Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, United States (8) winner vs. Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel), Brazil (3) vs. Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (1) winner. Tim Simmons, BFishInc