DUBAI // Kerri Walsh and Nicole Branagh won the United States' 76th women's Swatch FIVB World Tour gold medal with their triumph at the Dubai Open. The Dutch pair of Reinder Nummerdor and Richard Schuil fought from a set down to beat the Germans Mischa Urbatzka and Jonas Reckermann in the men's final at the Jumeirah Beach Park on Saturday night.
Walsh and Branagh scored a 21-18, 21-19 win in 46 minutes over the third-seeded American duo of Jen Boss and April Ross. "It is good to finish the season with a gold medal while having the opportunity to play with Kerri," Branagh said. "I felt we got stronger as a team with each match. "The final featured two teams with big and physical players. We just made the plays at the right time." It was the 38th international gold medal for Walsh. She has won 35 FIVB titles with Misty May-Treanor, including the Atlanta and Beijing Olympics and three world championship gold medals. She also claimed two crowns in 2004 with Rachel Wacholder.
Nummerdor and Schuil have now combined for 20 straight wins on the World, the European and the Dutch tours. arizvi@thenational.ae
