The Mexican wave literally hit the Katara Beach Volleyball Cup as young players Josue Gaxiola and Jose Rubio scalped a host of world champions and qualified for the gold medal match on Thursday.

At the Katara Cultural Village’s Amphitheatre, Gaxiola and Rubio, playing their first overseas FIVB World Beach Tour event, first disposed of current world champions and top seeds Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy in straight sets in the quarter-finals.

Then they went on to hand a 22-20, 22-20 defeat to sixth seeds Evandro Goncalves and Bruno Oscar Schmidt in 39 minutes in the semi-finals. Goncalves won the 2017

Schmidt and Allison Cerutti were 2015 World and 2016 Olympic champions, while Goncalves bagged the World crown with André Stein two years later.

With two victories in a day, the Mexicans have put themselves on a course to emulate Chilean Grimalt cousins Esteban and Marco. Last year, the Chileans had also started their campaign in Qatar as qualifiers and went home with the title.

On Friday, they will take on seventh seeds Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek, the Poles, who upset Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai, the fourth-seeded Italians, by 28-26, 21-18. This was the fifth meeting between the two teams and the Poles, after losing in the 2018 Gstaad Major, clinched the four clashes in a row.

Gaxiola and Rubio had an incredible nine-point run, which helped them seal a crucial 1-0 lead and then put them 7-0 ahead in the second. However, the experienced Brazilians clawed their way back into the set and negated the advantage, besides getting one set point (20-19), with Schmidt taking a touch-out.

Gaxiola produced a late drop to draw level and then Rubio blocked Goncalves to give his team the first match-point. He foiled 210-cm tall Goncalves again at the net to pull off the set and the match. Schmidt vented his frustration by throwing his cap into the court.

Mexican team coach Salvador Gonzalez was delighted with the sublime performance of his players and commented: “This tournament is a very high level event and it is the first event on the Tour outside Mexico for his players. Just like other, we’re also targeting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“After seeing Gaxiola and Rubio play like this, I feel we have high hopes of getting a berth in the Olympic Games. I never thought that these players would turn in such kind of amazing performances in Qatar. Ruben is an aggressive net player and he proved it in this tournament.

“Gaxiola is a bit cool and he likes to control the match from behind. My players have fire and ambition and they can become champions tomorrow. But to be honest, they have nothing to lose now and I will also not put any pressure on them to win,” added the coach.

Mexicans dazzle
Earlier in the day, Gaxiola and Rubio created sensation by knocking out No. 1 seed Russians Krasilnikov and Stoyanovskiy 21-17, 21-15.

The former FIVB World Under-21 runners-up Gaxiola and Rubio took 38 minutes to deliver the major shock. Besides, the world title, the Russians had bagged the World Tour Finals in Rome last season. Styanovskiy was second in Qatar in 2018 when he and Igor Velichiko had lost the final to Dutch Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen.

The young Mexicans set up the semi-final clash with Brazilian giants and sixth seeds Goncalves and Schmidt who eliminated Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena from the United States 21-10, 21-12. The Americans have been the runners-up here twice. Dalhausser has also been the world and 2008 Beijing Olympic champion along side Todd Roger.

Lupo and Nicolai and Bryl and Fijalek made it to the semi-finals with straight forward wins. The Italians ousted fifth-seeds and 2019 Chetumal 4-Star winners Taylor Crabb and Jake Gibb from United States 21-15, 21-18, the Polish pair put it across Nils Ehlers and Lars Fluggen from Germany 21-13, 21-14.

النتائج
Round 3
Daniele Lupo / Paolo Nicolai Italy (4) def. Taylor Crabb / Jake Gibb United States (5) 21-15, 21-18 (0:30)
Michal Bryl / Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (7) def. Nils Ehlers / Lars Fluggen Germany (13) 21-13, 21-14 (0:34)
Evandro Goncalves / Bruno Oscar Schmidt Brazil (6) def. Phil Dalhausser / Nick Lucena United States (3) 21-10, 21-12 (0:31)
Josue Gaxiola / Jose Rubio Mexico (28, Q8) def. Viacheslav Krasilnikov / Oleg Stoyanovskiy Russia (1) 21-17, 21-15 (0:38)

Semi-finals
Michal Bryl / Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (7) def. Daniele Lupo / Paolo Nicolai Italy (4) 28-26, 21-18 (0:43)
Josue Gaxiola / Jose Rubio Mexico (28, Q8) def. Evandro Goncalves / Bruno Oscar Schmidt Brazil (6) 22-20, 22-20 (0:39)

Friday’s fixtures
5.45 pm: Bronze medal match
Daniele Lupo / Paolo Nicolai Italy (4) vs Evandro Goncalves / Bruno Oscar Schmidt Brazil (6)

7:00 pm: Gold medal match
Michal Bryl / Grzegorz Fijalek Poland (7) vs Josue Gaxiola / Jose Rubio Mexico (28, Q8)