This Time, Dodd-Whitmarsh Are the Winners

It was a rematch of the Olympic final, but it was hardly an Olympic effort on the part of gold medalists Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes Saturday in the Manhattan Beach Open. They looked flat and lacked spark in a 15-6 semifinal loss to silver medalists Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh.

“They were out of sync,” Dodd said. “Karch wasn’t setting very well and Kent wasn’t hitting very well. It doesn’t happen very often with them.”

Fourth-seeded Dodd and Whitmarsh jumped out to a 5-1 lead and it wasn’t until they were trailing, 13-3, that top-seeded Kiraly and Steffes woke up and scored three in a row. It was too late though, and Dodd-Whitmarsh sealed the victory on their third match point attempt.

“I don’t feel like there’s been a letdown since the Olympics, but our play doesn’t seem to be as good,” Kiraly said. “We want to have a strong August and so far we’re not living up to our goal.”

Kiraly, winner of a record six Manhattan Beach Opens, and Steffes still have a chance to come back through the losers’ bracket today.

Whitmarsh and Dodd will meet No. 2-seeded Adam Johnson and Jose Loiola in the winners’ bracket final this morning.

Johnson and Loiola, winners here last year, defeated No. 3 Scott Ayakatubby and Brian Lewis, 15-6, in the semifinal.