Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst (pictured) captured their second FIVB World Tour title of the season after beating Finland’s Taru Lahti and Riikka Lehtonen in the Antalya Open women’s final ©FIVB

Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst captured their second International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Tour title of the season after beating Finland’s Taru Lahti and Riikka Lehtonen in the Antalya Open women’s final.

The top seeds posted a 23-21, 21-16 victory over the 15th-seeded Lahti and Lehtonen to claim their fourth gold medal since forming a partnership in 2013.

Ludwig and Walkenhorst didn’t drop a single set in their seven matches, including a 24-22, 21-16 success over seventh-seeded compatriots Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler in this morning’s first semi-final match.

"It was a good week for us as we accomplished a lot in preparing for our next two FIVB events in Moscow and Hamburg along with the European Championships in Switzerland," said the 30-year old Ludwig.

"Kira played very well and we were able to side out consistently all week.

"She had a big service winner to win the first set us after the Finns had controlled most of the action."

Lahti and Lehtonen’s silver-medal finish marked the first-ever podium placement by a women’s or men’s Finnish team since the start of internationally-sanctioned beach volleyball events by the FIVB in 1987 for men and 1992 for women.

They pair advanced to the final with a 25-23, 21-14 win over sixth-seeded Ana Gallay and Georgina Klug of Argentina, who went on to suffer a 18-21, 16-21 defeat at the hands of Holtwick and Semmler in the bronze medal match.

Gerrmany’s Markus Bockermann and Lars Fluggen (pictured) recorded three elimination wins to reach the men's semi-finals
Gerrmany’s Markus Bockermann and Lars Fluggen (pictured) recorded three elimination wins to reach the men's semi-finals ©FIVB

In the men’s competition, Germany’s Markus Bockermann and Lars Fluggen recorded three elimination wins to reach the semi-finals.

The ninth seeds opened play with a 21-16, 21-18 triumph over 12th-seeded Isaac Kapa and Christopher McHugh of Australia and then overcame third-seeded John Hyden and Tri Bourne of the United States 21-19, 16-21, 15-11.

Bockermann and Fluggen ended their day by ousting top-seeded Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst of The Netherlands 21-16, 21-19 in the quarter-finals.

Awaiting them in tomorrow’s first semi-final are 25th-seeded qualifiers Georgios Kotsilianos and Nikos Zoupanis of Greece, who defeated Germany’s Jonathan Erdmann and Kay Matysik 22-20, 24-22 in the last eight.

The other semi-final pits fourth-seeded Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins of Latvia against sixth-seeded Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel of Poland.

Samoilovs and Smedins bested 26th-seeded qualifiers Michal Bryl and Kacper Kujawiak of Poland 21-15, 23-25, 15-9 to reach the last four, while Fijalek and Prudel ousted second-seeded Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of The Netherlands 22-20, 21-17.

The men’s medal matches are due to take place tomorrow afternoon following the semi-finals.