2007 Men’s World Cup- Day 9
Bulgarians overcome Tunisians and Argentina held up the sparkling Egyptians
Okayama, Japan, November 27, 2007 — Wild cards Bulgaria had to work hard to overcome African vice champions Tunisia in four sets in the men’s World Cup on Tuesday. The Bulgarians, third at last year’s World Championships, won 26-24, 22-25, 25-15, 25-17 to improve to 6-2, while Tunisia dropped to 1-7. Man of the match was Bulgaria’s Todor Aleksiev.
Argentina held off a sparkling Egyptian rally to win the first match of the day 3-1 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on Tuesday. The South American vice champions improved their World Cup win-loss record to 5-3 with a hard-fought 25-22, 25-19, 16-25, 25-21 victory. The African champions dropped to 0-8 but gave Argentina plenty of problems in the last two sets.
Aleksiev, Matey Kaziyski and Vladimir Nikolov were in scintillating form from the get-go against Tunisia, with spikes aplenty, while Evgeni Ivanov was blocking well at the net.
The Tunisians kept in touch with the Bulgarians most of the way in the first set, though, before Nikolov gave his team a little breathing space at 21-19 with a big spike on the right.
Aleksiev then spiked from the same position for 22-20, but the Tunisians were not making it easy for Bulgaria. Aleksiev popped up again on the right for 23-21 but then served into the net.
A big setting mistake from Andrey Zhekov drew Tunisia level at 23-23, making coach Martin Stoev call a timeout, but Vladimir Nikolov then spiked on the right for 24-23, at which point Tunisia called a TO.
Tunisia saved one set point but Nikolov spiked again for 25-24 and then a block from Ivanov clinched the set.
The North Africans were pushing Bulgaria again the second set and went into the second TTO leading by one point after an excellent spike from Khaled Belaid.
Bilel Ben Hassine extended that lead to two at 17-15 and at 19-16 to Tunisia, Bulgaria had to call a TO.
Aleksiev pulled one back with a huge spike on the left and another spike from him kept the deficit to two. Vladimir Nikolov’s ace then reduced the deficit to one.
Aleksiev then leveled at 20-20 with another effort from the left, but Marouane Garci angled effort put the Tunisians in front before Aleksiev again leveled.
Garci put his team in front and then the Bulgarians could only block his effort out of bounds. Garci then claimed set point before that man yet again claimed the set with a spiked effort from the right.
The third set began as close as the first two but the Bulgarians pulled away to lead by three at the second TTO, with Aleksiev crashing in from the right.
Zhekov’s block made it 17-13 and the Bulgarians quickly increased that lead to 22-14, with Tunisia calling two timeouts in quick succession.
The set was soon over, though. Nikolay Nikolov drew gasps with a huge spike for 23-15, Kaziyski smacked in an angled spike for set point and the same man blocked for the set.
Bulgaria now looked more in control and led by three at the first TTO of the fourth set. Hristo Tsvetanov blocked to make it 11-6 and Aleksiev speared one in while falling away from the net to make it 12-7.
Hosni Karamosly was spiking well, too, and he was helping make sure Tunisia kept tabs on the Bulgarians, but the Europeans still made it to the second TTO leading by five after a Nikolay Nikolov spike.
Vladimir Nikolov crashed in two serves to make it 21-12 to Bulgaria and although Karamosly was still crashing in spikes for Tunisia it looked as though it was only a matter of time before the Europeans wrapped things up.
It soon was over. Tsvetanov blocked to make it 23-14, Noureddine Hfaiedh served into the net for match point and Karamosly served long for the match.

Argentina holds off fiery Egypt
Fukuoka, Japan, November 27, 2007: Argentina held off a sparkling Egyptian rally to win the first match of the day 3-1 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on Tuesday.
The South American vice champions improved their World Cup win-loss record to 5-3 with a hard-fought 25-22, 25-19, 16-25, 25-21 victory. The African champions dropped to 0-8 but gave Argentina plenty of problems in the last two sets.
Argentina reached the first TTO ahead 8-7 thanks to a flurry of points from Guillermo Garcia, including a service ace and a soaring back court attack.
In reply, Hossam Shaarawy blocked Rodrigo Quiroga and southpaw Ahmed Salah made his intentions clear with some lusty blows on the right, although on one occasion he was blocked emphatically by Quiroga.
When Argentina started to pull away at 13-10, Egypt called the first TO of the match. Garcia resumed with an ace, and Egypt promptly took out Mohamed Badawy Moneim and sent in Saleh Fathy Youssef.
Quiroga was now into his stride on the left, and fired a crisp winner to take Argentina into the second TTO with a five-point cushion, 16-11.
On the restart, Hossam pulled off another fine block, this time on Garcia, and Salah rose on the left to send a smooth spike down the line as Egypt tried to catch up. Saleh Youssef added another flashing winner from the left to close the gap to 19-17 and send Argentina into a TO.
Marcos Milinkovic settled Argentine nerves down the stretch with a trademark spike on the right and a block on Salah as they wrapped up the opening frame 25-22. Garcia had scored 10 points in the first set, with eight spikes and two on serve.
The second set started with a series of rallies, one of which middle blocker Rodrigo Aschemacher finished off to give his team a two-point lead at the first TTO.
Quiroga impressed with his baseline defence as well as his explosive attacks, and on one occasion he followed up his own dig with a clean hit on a back court attack for 12-8, at which point Egypt took a TO. The Argentines were dictating the pace of the game, so much so that Egypt took off their most lethal weapon, southpaw Salah, at 13-8. Egypt's master blaster had mustered only six spikes in this time.
When Diego Stepanenko blocked Mohamed El Nafrawy El Sayed, it was becoming too easy for the South American vice champions, who led by seven at the second TTO, 16-9.
Garcia beat Abdalla from a standing start at the net to increase Argentina's lead, and Aschemacher blasted through a non-existent block for 21-15, forcing Egypt to take a second TO.
The serving of both teams was well below its best, as was the accuracy of the attacks, and this led to a scrappy end to the second set before Argentina took it 25-19 with a Quiroga hit on the left, 2-0.
The motivation of Egypt was clearly high at the start of the third set, and some good work on the left by captain Hamdy Awad El Safi helped his team lead 8-5 at the first TTO.
This was a match Egypt had targeted as a possible victory, and they did not want to be swept 3-0 for the sixth time in eight outings.
Saleh Youssef moved the Africans to 10-6 with another athletic spike, and Quiroga was replaced after being blocked by Abdalla. When Gabal spiked smoothly down the right for 13-7, Argentina took a TO having completely lost their momentum. Abdalla welcomed them back with a sizzling ace.
To the relief of the spectators, the intensity of the match increased several notches as the Egyptians finally started to compete more aggressively. At 16-10 they were in a good position to take the third set, and brilliant digging resulted in a ferocious winner from Gabal down the right side.
El Safi blocked rival captain Milinkovic easily on the Argentine right for 20-13, and Argentina replaced setter Orduna with De Cecco. A Gabal missile for 21-13 sent Argentina into a second TO, but the gap was too big. Saleh Youssef read the dink of Lucas Chavez on the right for 24-16, and Egypt finished it on the next point, 25-16.
The match came alive in the fourth set, as Egypt forced Argentina to raise their game again. Abdalla sent a serve whistling past Garcia for 6-5 Egypt, and Argentina responded to the challenge by winning five straight points to go ahead 10-6.
The Argentines turned up the power of their attacks, determined to regain control of the match, and Stepanenko blocked Abdalla for 14-11. They could not stop Gabal, though, who had made a huge difference to the match with his fluid and forceful spiking on the right.
The Egyptians hurled themselves around the court to prevent Argentina pulling away, but they still had a three-point gap to make up at the second TTO, 16-13. Thanks to Gabal twice and El Safi they did it immediately, winning the first three points on the restart for 16-16, Argentina TO.
A wristy swat down the left by Garcia sent Egypt into a TO trailing 18-16, and Milinkovic drew on all his experience to probe the Africans' defence for openings. The greater experience shone through, and Argentina closed out the match 25-21.