Austria also win against Argentina!
Bad luck with the weather for the Fistball WCH: the heavens opened in Vienna/Meidling just as the Brazilians were about to take on Namibia, the team with the loudest supporters. Brazil took both the first and the second sets 11:5 in the downpour which became even stronger as the match went on. Some unforced errors prevented Namibia from drawing level in the third set with the score at 6:7 which also finally lost them the set and the match.
Austria win second match: Austria vs. Argentina (11:7, 11:6, 8:11, 11:5)
For a short time it looked as if the weather gods were going to show a little mercy, but the floodgates opened again when the first ball was struck. The match became a battle in and against the rain. As expected, Argentina lived up to their reputation of being an equal match. The Gauchos held their own until the score reached 6:6, Austria then went into the lead 9:6 at which point the South Americans took a time-out. It didn't help: the hosts went on to win the set 11:7, playing as the strong unit their trainer had demanded throughout. The second set was a similar affair with Argentina refusing to lie down. It looked as if Austria had taken a 5:2 lead but the players corrected the team of referees which put the blue and whites back into contention. This prompted Winfried Kronsteiner to bring on his captain, Dietmar Weiss. This powerhouse and Klemens Kronsteiner used their fine technique to take the second set. Austria were trailing 1:5 in the third set to begin with and the host nation was unable to catch up. Vazquez brought the set to an end, scoring direct off the serve. This was followed by heated discussions in the fourth set but Austria finally had the upper hand, winning the match 11:5. The hosts were the ones who coped better with the still playable but certainly challenging conditions.
What the players said:
Karl Rick: "Argentina played well, as we expected. The conditions were really difficult for both teams. Playing in this weather in these surroundings with such a fantastic crowd is still great fun! A big thank-you to everyone who stayed on in these conditions!"
"It was just as tough as we expected, the conditions on the court didn't make it any easier. I'm proud of our team, they played very well especially in attack. I'm very satisfied with the start."