Karagkouni and Arvaniti seal second World Tour gold since Vicky’s comeback
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, February 25, 2019. Greece’s Panagiota Karagkouni and Vasiliki ‘Vicky’ Arvaniti eased to victory in the final of the FIVB Beach World Tour event in Phnom Penh. The Greek pair defeated Amanda Dowdy and Corinne Quiggle of the United States at the National Sports Complex in the Cambodian capital.
They won 21-14, 21-17 in a clash that lasted 34 minutes, claiming their second gold medal this season following victory in Ljubljana last December – in what was Arvaniti’s comeback after more than two years away from competitive sport.
The Phnom Penh event was their 24th World Tour tournament together, having become partners for the first time in 2013. Karagkouni and Arvaniti had beaten Japan’s Chiyo Suzuki and Yurika Sakaguchi in the semi-final of the two-star event, 21-14, 21-9.
Dowdy and Quiggle overcame Rumpaipruet Numwong and Tanarattha Udomchavee to make the final, triumphing 21-16, 21-18 over the Thais. Chiyo and Sakaguchi took third place in a closely fought battle against Numwong and Udomchavee. The Japanese pair came back from being one set down to win 19-21, 23-21, 15-12.
