English Beach Volleyball players having a good time in Blackpool

Anyone who meets Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns these days notices right away that these two women have every reason to be pleased with their performance. The British Beach Volleyball duo seized the National Championship last weekend in Blackpool and now they are on their way to again causing quite a stir at the same venue during the English Masters. The underdogs won their first two matches against their compatriots Mullin/Dampney and the number four-seeded Latvian duo Minusa/Jursone.
An unexpected success letting Lucy Boulton smile and shake her head in disbelief: "We are already definitely fifth and even that is a great success", the 23 year-old says. "The two opening wins give us great position for the rest of the tournament."
Indeed Boulton and Johns will be playing the Austrian duo Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger (who got the fifth place at the past Olympic Games in Beijing) for the right to play in the semi-finals. It would be the greatest success in the history of British Beach Volleyball. But even if their good luck should run out sometime - the good feeling they have with their play will remain. "It is a wonderful atmosphere at our home game" Lucy Boulton says. "My family and my friends are here and are cheering us on. I am having a great time." Her partner can only agree: "It is always nice to come back to Blackpool", Denise Johns says. "The English Masters is a great event where all the participants feel comfortable. Especially us, because we are being supported by our fans so well - that gives us an extra boost."
The British men's team Jody Gooding and Luke Sheaf also enjoyed the home court support at their first match. It did not help though because they were playing the current World Champions. Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann of Germany left their opponents no chance in two one-sided sets. The defeat was still a "great experience" as Jody Gooding said: "Now we can tell our friends how it feels to play the best team in the world." And how does it feel? Very informative as Gooding stresses: "Brink/Reckermann are a special team with their fantastic technique, their tactical and athletic talent. We can learn a lot from them."