Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli don't need any warm-up time for their joint comeback in Brazil. The reunited Swiss duo reached the quarter-finals at the Elite 16 tournament in Saquarema.
11.04.2026, 18:26
11.04.2026, 18:30
SDA
After suffering their first defeat in the third and final group match against the world-class Brazilian duo Thamela/Victoria, the next tough test awaited them in the knockout round. The women from Central Switzerland, who had gone their separate ways after winning bronze at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, passed this test with flying colors against the US duo Kelly Cheng/Megan Kraft.
Unlike in the three-set defeat the day before, the Swiss took their chance in the deciding set. At 15:14, Brunner converted the third match point with an ace to win.
In the quarter-finals, Brunner/Hüberli will once again face two Americans in Sara Hughes, who became world champion with Cheng in 2023, and Allysa Batenhorst. The US duo prevented a Swiss duel in the last eight by narrowly defeating Joana Mäder and Leona Kernen in three sets in the round of 16 after fending off match point. Kernen successfully teamed up with Hüberli last season, while Mäder (née Heidrich), like Brunner, is also returning from maternity leave.
