Head-to-Head
• Germany and Russia will meet for the 13th time in the World Grand Prix. Germany have only one win in the previous 12 meetings in the competition: a 3-2 win in 2004.
• Germany won only seven sets in their previous 12 meetings while Russia won 35.
• These teams played the final of the 2013 European championship in which Russia beat Germany 3-1.
Germany
• Germany will partake in their 16th World Grand Prix. Their best result in the competition is a bronze medal in 2002 and 2009.
• Germany have won four of their last seven World Grand Prix matches.
• Germany are three matches shy from winning their 50th in the competition.
• Germany have won only two of their previous 15 opening matches. Their only opening day victories came in 2009, when they beat USA 3-0, and in 2013 when they beat Kazakhstan 3-1.
• Germany's Julia Schaefer will celebrate her 19th birthday and Russia's Ekaterina Efimova her 22nd birthday on the day of the match.
Russia
• This will be Russia's 19th World Grand Prix participation, most of all European teams.
• Russia have won the World Grand Prix three times (1997, 1999 and 2002) and have reached the podium 12 times in total. Only Brazil have won more medals in the competition (16).
• Russia have won six of their last eight World Grand Prix matches.