BEACH VOLLEYBALL : Hovland, Ayakatubby Upset by New Team of Gatzke, Nichols

Tim Hovland and Scott Ayakatubby reached the finals of last week’s pro beach volleyball tournament in Maryland, but on Friday at the Manhattan Beach Open, they became victims of the day’s biggest upset.

Fifth-seeded Hovland and Ayakatubby lost a third-round match to No. 21 Brian Gatzke and Jim Nichols, playing in their second event together, 16-15.

“It was luck,” said Nichols, a 26-year-old rookie on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour. “By far, it’s my biggest win. Just to beat the Hov is a big thing for us.”

Hovland, 34, is one of three active players who have won five Manhattan Beach Open titles. Karch Kiraly and Mike Dodd are the others.

Ayakatubby-Hovland regrouped and won a late-afternoon losers’ bracket match against No. 25 Mark Kerins and Kevin Martin, 15-5.

The top-seeded team of Kiraly and Kent Steffes cruised through three matches on Friday and will play eighth-seeded Brian Lewis and Steve Timmons in the quarterfinals today at 9 a.m.

Gatzke and Nichols will face fourth-seeded Adam Johnson and Bruk Vandeweghe in that bracket’s other quarterfinal at 9.

The second-seeded team of Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh won its three matches, 15-3, 15-5 and 15-9. Dodd-Whitmarsh will play the Brazilian team of Eduardo Bacil and Jose Loiola in a 9:30 quarterfinal.

Third-seeded Brent Frohoff and Ricci Luyties will face 11th-seeded Troy Tanner and Eric Wurts in the other quarterfinal match.

Tanner and Wurts upset sixth-seeded Sinjin Smith and Dan Vrebalovich in the third round, 15-6.