Metzger looks to defend title with new running mate

Mark Williams scrambled to dig a ball just off the sand, then recovered in time to dink a winner over the net.

"How about my guy?" shouted his partner, Stein Metzger. "Nice hustle!"

Williams has been Metzger's guy for only a matter of weeks, but the newest duo on the AVP Crocs Tour looked like a formidable one Thursday as the Charleston Open got under way at the Family Circle Tennis Center on Daniel Island.

Metzger and Williams, seeded third in the Charleston Open, dismissed the team of Albert Hannemann and Austin Rester in quick 21-9, 21-13 fashion to start Metzger's defense of the Charleston Open title he won last year with Mike Lambert.

Lambert, a 6-6 Hawaiian who partnered with Metzger to win three AVP titles last year, underwent knee surgery just before the pro beach volleyball season started this year, forcing Metzger to find a new running mate and throwing his Olympic ambitions into doubt.

"It's definitely different being here without Mike," said Metzger, who also grew up in Hawaii. "It's always been my dream to play with Mike, we knew each other when we were kids. So it's tough to be without him for the moment, but we expect to have him back pretty soon."

With Lambert sidelined, the 35-year-old Metzger turned to Williams, a 6-7 native of Australia who followed Metzger at UCLA and partnered with Nick Lucena and Casey Jennings last year. Metzger and Williams earned a ninth-place finish in their first tourney together in Australia, then came out of the losers' bracket to finish third at Huntington Beach last week.

"I expected Australia to be our only tournament together," Metzger said. "But then we hooked up again last week in Huntington and stormed out of the losers' bracket to finish third, which I thought was pretty good for our first AVP event.

"We have similar mentalities and it seems like we're been hitting it off well right off the bat," Metzger said. "He's great to play with, and he's in the best shape of his life. And he's really crafty, left-handed with great touch as well as being powerful."

Metzger, who along with Dax Holdren finished fifth at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, figures he has two shots at an Olympic berth this year, with either Williams or Lambert.

Metzger and Lambert currently stand third in the points standings, behind the first-place team of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers and second-place Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb. Dalhausser and Rogers have locked up one of the U.S. team's two berths, and Rosenthal and Gibb are competing in Prague this week in an effort to gain the second Olympic berth.

Metzger and Williams plan to play international events in Italy and Croatia after leaving Charleston. At that point, if Lambert is able to return, he and Metzger will team up for five Grand Slam events leading up to the Olympic qualifying cut-off date of July 20.

If Lambert cannot return, Metzger and Williams will make the Olympic chase together. A team's top eight international finishes count toward Olympic qualifying, and Metzger and Williams would be able to fit in only eight tournaments.

"Mark and I would be a long shot," Metzger said. "We will be able to get eight events total, but there will be no room for error. We'd have to do very well in every event. If we do well in the next two, then there would be a little bit of hope for Mark and I.

"Then, Mike would have to figure out whether he can play or not, and then I'd have to figure out who I will play with."

Thursday's results

Men's winners' bracket

Round 1

Scott Davenport / AJ Mihalic (16) def. Braidy Halverson / Jason Lee (17) 19-21, 21-15, 15-11

Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (9) def. Duncan Budinger / Leonardo Moraes (24) 21-14, 21-13

Mike DiPierro / Mark Van Zwieten (21) def. Russ Marchewka / Mike Placek (12) 21-15, 21-18

Billy Allen / Paul Baxter (20) def. Adam Jewell / Jeff Nygaard (13) 16-21, 21-19, 15-13

Albert Hannemann / Austin Rester (14) def. Jeff Carlucci / Casey Patterson (19) 21-16, 21-16

John Mayer / Will Strickland (11) def. Ihor Akinshyn / Justin Phipps (22) 21-17, 17-21, 15-12

Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (10) def. Jeff Murrell / Jason Wight (23) 21-17, 21-13

Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (18) def. Vincent Robbins / Adam Roberts (15) 21-19, 21-17

Round 2

Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Scott Davenport / AJ Mihalic (16) 21-14, 21-13

Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (9) def. Ryan Mariano / Ed Ratledge (8) 15-21, 21-17, 15-10

Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (5) def. Mike DiPierro / Mark Van Zwieten (21) 21-15, 25-23

Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (4) vs. Billy Allen / Paul Baxter (20) 21-17, 21-17

Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (3) def. Albert Hannemann / Austin Rester (14) 21-9, 21-13

Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (6) def. John Mayer / Will Strickland (11) 17-21, 21-15, 15-10 (1:12)

Jason Ring / Aaron Wachtfogel (7) def. Pedro Brazao / Jose Loiola (10) 23-21, 19-21, 17-15

Match 16: Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (18) def. John Hyden / Brad Keenan (2) 21-18, 21-19

Women's winners' bracket

Round 1

Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (17) def. Alicia Polzin / Janelle Ruen (16) 21-18, 21-17

Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) def. Johanna Lehman / Jean Mathews (24) by Forfeit

Angela Lewis / Priscilla Lima (12) def. Olivia Waldowski / Kelly Wing (21) 21-11, 21-19

Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (13) def. Paige Davis / Courtney Guerra (20) 21-12, 21-15

Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (14) def. Stacy Nicks / Alicia Zamparelli (19) 21-9, 21-18

Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (22) def. Jennifer Fopma / Jenny Pavley (11) 11-21, 21-19, 15-12

Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (10) def. Sara Fredrickson / Allie Griffin (23) 21-11, 21-18

Jenelle Koester / Sarah Straton (18) def. Angela Knopf / Saralyn Smith (15) 21-15, 21-12

Round 2

Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (1) def. Whitney Pavlik / Jennifer Snyder (17), 21-14, 21-14

Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) def. Jenny Kropp / Nancy Mason (8) 19-21, 21-16, 15-11

Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) def. Angela Lewis / Priscilla Lima (12) 23-21, 21-16

Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (4) def. Paula Roca / Stacy Rouwenhorst (13) 21-15, 19-21, 15-12

Jennifer Boss / April Ross (3) def. Sara Dukes / Chrissie Zartman (14) 21-11, 21-19

Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) def. Gabriela Roney / Lenka Urbanova (22) 21-17, 21-16

Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (7) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (10) 21-12, 21-17

Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (2) def. Jenelle Koester / Sarah Straton (18), 21-15, 19-21, 15-12