Kish Island, Iran, February 23, 2018 – Germany’s Alexander Walkenhorst is seeking more consistency in his team's game, following a winning leap to the quarterfinals after victory against Italy’s Tiziano Andreatta/Andrea Abiatti in straight sets.
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Kish Island - WebsiteKish Island - Schedule and ResultsKish Island - TeamsKish Island - Tournament Notes“I can’t really tell in numbers but in some parts of our game, we really played on a high level, but we have not really played with consistency in this tournament. What we want to have is a solid, high-level game.”
“I feel very good but didn’t expect that we would win the match easily, especially in these conditions which the Italian guys may be more used to. I am just satisfied that we cleared the match in two sets to face Austria. We will have a good fight in the quarterfinal for sure.”
The 29-year-old Walkenhorst is pleased with the turn of events after moving up from qualification to the main draw and then entering the quarterfinal round for the first time with his new partner Sven Winter.
“Honestly we didn’t expect to get to the quarterfinal. It’s our first tournament together in the FIVB World Tour. We tried to play together last season, but he was injured all season. We are already very happy even with the fifth place. We will definitely put all our efforts in the quarterfinal.”
There is a ten-year age difference between Walkenhorst and Winter, but their good on-court dynamics helped them in their performance at Kish Island.
“Everyone thinks that I am the vocal one, but it’s actually my partner. He is more emotional and he is always the one fighting for every point and screaming. He is just 19 and I am 29, so it’s my job to be the leader of the team,” added Walkenhorst.
The name Walkenhorst is well-known in beach volleyball, but Alex always puts his sister Kira ahead of himself.
“I think it’s difficult to make a name of my own. I can’t put Alex Walkenhorst as a special name, but I always do my best to be accepted as a good player in the World Tour.
“I started earlier and I introduced my sister to the game more or less. Now I do not need to introduce her to the whole world. I am proud of her all the way. We used to be very competitive, but now my sister is an Olympic champion and a world champion. There is no competition when it comes to beach volleyball, but if it’s not volleyball, I am the older and stronger brother.”