Defending champions out of beach volleyball final

Brazil's Marcio Araujo (R) celebrates with his teammate Fabio Luiz (C) after their victory over Brazil's Ricardo Santos (back C) and Emanuel Rego (back L) in their men's semifinal beach volleyball match at Beijing's Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground on August 20, 2008 during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz (Magalhaes) won 2-0.

They lost to their Brazilian compatriots, Marcio Araujo and Fabio Magalhaes 20-22 and 18-21.

"Fabio and Marcio played very well in the match. Their blocks and strikes were excellent and we made a lot of mistakes," commented Santos after the match.

"I wish them very good performance in the final and I will cheer for them," he told a press conference.

The defending champions will meet Georgia's Renato Gomes and Jorge Terceiro, who lost to US duo Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser in another semifinal, in the bronze medal match on Friday.

Araujo and Magalhaes said they hadn't expected they could win the match against defending champions.

"We knew it would be very difficult so we put all our energy to play against them and make every ball perfect. We gave 120 percent of our energy, not 100 percent," said Araujo.

"We played well in defense¹ and blocks," he said.

The two Brazilians will face US duo Rogers/Dalhausser in the final.

Araujo and Magalhaes, placed fourth on the Olympic qualification standing², were winners of 11 FIVB World Tour events and gold medallists at the 2005 FIVB World Championships.

The 34-year-old Araujo was named FIVB World Tour best defensive³ player in 2005, best setter in 2007, and the 29-year-old Magalhaes was FIVB best blocker in 2005 and most improved player that year.