Evandro/Arthur vs. Elazar/Cuzmiciov - Pool Play Highlights | Rio de Janeiro 2025 #BeachProTour

It's our live coverage of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour coming to you from Rio de Janeiro, the Copacabana Sands. It's Brazil, the number six seeds kicking off against the number 19s from Israel. Elan Elazar serving for Israel, targeting Arta. Arta coming in and finding a fantastic scene. Cohedor was a call. Good touch. That was a tricky one. I'm surprised it didn't get called. Evandro had something to say about it, but they've got the ball and Arta comes in strong. There's the look from Evandro to Suzanne Alaro, I think one of the best servers we have witnessed ever in beach volleyball. On the back set, fantastic finish. Elazar takes Arta to forward. Bounces back quickly and finishes perfectly. Arta, surprise server of this pair who has been doing some serious damage from the service line. Good response from Elazar. Elazar just looking back feels like he's making a little mistake. How does Mikyov get on a roll? Delivered it to Arta, but he's organised, he's aggressive and then he decelerates just so perfectly. It's the long look, but it's everything that goes into the build-up of that momentum from Arta. Powers one through the net. Elazar out wide, squeezes it through Evandro. Number 33 in the rankings. Now they would need to do a France or a Portugal, whichever way you want to look at it, and get a fantastic result here. It would help their cause if they could get the early win. But it's Arta with a heavy top spin. 10 serving 7, Arta really throwing up a huge amount of spin and then hitting it with a brilliant snap. And it is... Elazar could take what an on-two option, that is phenomenal. Looking to pounce on Arta, drives the traffic, gets the power pokey over off the redirect and I'm loving that. And Evandro waits for it to come, although if we get that side view... Arta incredibly focused from the service line, prowling the backcourt. Gets the body behind here for Kuznikiar with a big swing. Looks like Arta's signalling jump late into the cross. Israel taken to the floor by a big middle serve. Pins the setter. Evandro got such focus on his service preparation. He's getting some big passes out of Israel and it's Arta leaving it. Big work. Elazar sets Kuznikiar. Evandro with the defence and Evandro with the beautifulness of finishes. Evandro definitely bringing about a craft, especially in transition. It's good enough. Elazar challenging Arta down the line. Arta beats one, but that is too hot to handle. Love the positioning of Kuznikiar. Arta with a good take off the net. What a bit of self cover, that is incredible. But it is Elazar with another block that just closes Arta down. The patience of the Israeli blocker and Brazil's timeout. 19-0. Set point incoming, who's it going to be? Arta running the back set, comes in strong and gets it. That is a fantastic response out of the timeout. Mindful of the conditions. Set point Brazil, 20-19. Arta with the float, not going for the heavy jump. Gets it into Elazar, but it is Evandro getting on board with the first block of the game. A monster block and a monster moment. The set goes to Brazil. It's Brazil getting us underway to start the second set. And Israel does a fantastic job of avoiding the block. Good start. Way to bounce back after that first set loss. Oh, Evandro, not Evandro, Arta. I love, I think Arta is my favourite attacker when it comes to selling the swing. Elazar out wide. Oh, Elazar on the rise, just snatching that one out of the air. Arta signalling late cross blocks for Evandro. Arta selling a lot of dukes, but it's Evandro with the late move. Arta just checking the scoreboard. It's 5-5 as Elazar delivers the single most perfect. Doesn't quite get the defence from Brazil, but you are not stopping that. Backs it up with a good serve, but it's Evandro going. When you put anything on it, you're so happy. And when he errors, it's just so, such a big sense of relief. Good slow down. Oh, Arta's in trouble here. Israel responding incredibly well to stepping up into the main draw. Kuzmikiov tries to leave it too late, but the deceleration on contact. So they are doing really well at futures, but this is next level stuff. This is their first elite main draw. This is massive for them. And they've just got the overpass. It's an opportunity to get their way back in, but they can't get the recovery. Love that. Evandro and Arta very awake to Elon Elazar. Kicking off. Technical timeout. Brazil up 12-9. Big swing. And well worked. Definitely wind picking up now. You can almost hear it through the microphones. Definitely see those umbrellas moving in the wind. And teams using that set away from the head referee. Kuzmikiov on the back set. Goes for a very fine cut shot. Good movement from Israel. Forcing Arta to move to that line earlier. A little bit of extra ping. A bit of focus on this approach. What can Kuzmikiov do? He moves late to the line. But Evandro just goes high up and over. High contact point from Evandro. How can he get dialled in? This time a jump float. Evandro in control. And I love that. Arta gets a quite low pass. Beautiful condition. Nice shape. What a touch though from Arta. And Evandro, I think he's reached over. He's getting a little late. Tongue is getting tied sometimes. And good wipe off from Evandro. That was a difficult position. 18 serving 15. The crowd are calling for an ace. Will it be one? Not because Kuzmikiov has got anything to say about it. And he goes after Evandro yet again. Oh, and Arta. That is what you work for. Those are the moments you train incredibly hard. To go and put that... Just drops it short. Eleazar couldn't release Kuzmikiov for the on 2. And he goes long. And Brazil have done it. Tricky match for Israel. A baptism of fire into a main draw for the very first time at an elite event.