RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - When Beijing gold medalist Phil Dalhausser teamed up with Nick Lucena less than one year ago for a longshot run at the Olympics, it was more out of friendship - and a lack of alternatives - than anything else.
Dalhausser was coming off two straight seasons with injuries. Lucena had never been to the Olympics, struggling to find a partnership that worked.
At 6-foot-9 and already an Olympic champion, Dalhausser is one of the most feared players in the sport. He won his gold medal with Todd Rogers in 2008, and the pair returned to the London Games, finishing ninth.
But last August, already a year into the two-year qualification cycle, his partnership with two-time Olympian Sean Rosenthal had stalled - in part because of Dalhausser's abdominal and calf injuries. So he went back to Lucena, his partner for a couple of dozen events when they were first starting out.
"I'm pretty fortunate to play with him," Lucena said after the 21-14, 12-21, 15-9 loss to Brazil left them in fifth place. "He's one of the best players in the world. I wanted to win this for him."
The Brazilians dominated the first set against the United States and then - just as decisively - struggled in the second. The Americans fell behind 12-6 in the third, and then the Brazil duo and the crowd took control.