Defending champions Poland and Pool 1 leaders Latvia continued to assert their dominance at the 2025 WPV Beach ParaVolley World Championships in Mersin on Wednesday, maintaining their unbeaten records after another intense day of competition at Pompei Beach.
In Pool 2, Poland were pushed to three sets by Kazakhstan but kept their composure to secure a 2-1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-10) win. Polish trio Dariusz Cegielka, Filip Gaca and Artur Wasowicz held out in the decider, with Rafal Wojtowicz available as a substitute. Kazakhstan’s Bauyrzhan Urazaliyev, Azimkhan Bekbolatov and Yerbolat Altayev fought hard to win the second set and showed the same grit that took them past Türkiye 1 on the opening day.
Latvia remained clear in Pool 1 after beating USA 3 in straight sets, 2-0 (21-4, 21-8). The Latvian line-up of Andrejs Filipavics, Dmitrijs Silovs and Maksis Karlis Grandbergs controlled the pace from start to finish and extended their perfect run without conceding a single set.
USA 1, consisting of Abram Gornik, Andrew Nation and Kyler Carl Moore, also impressed with a 2-0 (21-8, 21-14) win over Türkiye 2, strengthening their position in Pool 1. The Turkish side of Samet Can Karasu, Koray Candan and Süleyman Bayram Atilgan showed moments of resilience but could not match the Americans’ consistency.
Hosts Türkiye earned their first win of the tournament through Metin Karaca, Hasari Kose and Selim Akyayla, who defeated USA 2 with Kurtis Larson, Robert Rodriguez and Kyle Mason in straight sets (21-19, 21-16). The result moved Türkiye 1 into third place in Pool 2 and thrilled the home fans who gathered at the seaside venue.
After two matchdays, Latvia leads Pool 1, ahead of USA 1 and Slovakia, while Poland tops Pool 2, followed by Kazakhstan and Türkiye 1. The competition continues on Thursday at Pompei Beach as teams look to build on their early momentum in Mersin.
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