Fonimoana-Wong team take AVP Pro Beach championship

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (AP) Eric Fonimoana and Kevin Wong played their first tournament together and defeated Brazilians Eduardo Bacil and Jose Loiola 23-25, 21-18, 13-15 to capture the Men's Pro Beach Volleyball Championship Sunday.

``Eric and Kevin deserved to win today,'' said Loiola, who plans to compete on the 2004 Brazilian Olympic Beach volleyball team. ``Fatigue kills us. My legs were gone in game three. I'm not in the best of shape right now because I've been traveling back and forth to Brazil.''

Fonimoana, who won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with Dain Blanton, became the first men's player this season to win two titles in the AVP tour. He also won in April, during the opening week of the tour.

``This win is as special as the Olympics' win,'' said Fonimoana, a Manhattan Beach native. ``It's great to play in front of my home town friends and family.''

Game three was closely contested, after the two teams split the first two games, as neither team was able to mount a lead of more than three points. Fonimoana closed the game and match out when he fired the final of his 12 kills to secure the victory. He and Wong practiced together only twice before forming their partnership this week.

The teams of Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings, and Canyon Ceman and Mike Whitemarsh tied for third place among the field of 48 teams. Fuerbringer and Jennings lost to Bacil and Loiola and Ceman and Whitemarsh lost to Fonimoana and Wong in the semi finals.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)