Aussie spikers eye Thai clean sweep
Title-holders and the Asian Beach Games champions Varapatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee set up an all-Thai semi-final clash against veterans Jarunee Sannok and Usa Tenpaksee in the 14th Samila-Chang Asian Beach Volleyball Tour Samila Open in Song
Meanwhile, Australia, fresh from landing the men’s and women’s crowns at the Khanom Open in Nakhon Si Thammarat last week, stole the show by advancing to the semi-finals in both men’s and women’s events.
Thailand 1’s Varapatsorn and Tanarattha thrashed Hong Kong 1’s Wong Yuen Mei/Ng Tin Lai 21-10 21-15 in the play-off, but struggled to beat Japan 2’s Ayumi Kusano/Mutsumi Ozaki, silver medallists at the Khanom Open, 21-17 19-21 23-21 in a hard-fought quarter-final encounter.
Thailand 2’s Jarunee and Usa followed suit by registering two wins in a row, cruising past Sri Lanka 1’s Dinesha Prasadani Jayamaha Hitihamilage and Geethika Lalani Gunawardana Kuda Kottunnage 21-15 21-16 in the play-off before brushing off New Zealand 1’s Julai Margaret Tilley and Shaunna Marie Poliey 21-12 21-13 in the quarter-finals.
Australia 1’s Louise Anne Bawden and Taliqua Shanice Clancy proved that their victory in the Khanom Open was no fluke by trouncing Vietnam 2’s Ngo Vo Thanh Loan and Tran Thi Nhung 21-8 21-8 in the play-off. They then outplayed Japan 1’s Takemi Nishibori and Sayaka Mizoe 21-17 21-17 in the quarter-finals.
On the men’s side, in-form Australia 1’s Isaac Leonard Kapa and Christopher Bernard McHugh, who won the Khanom Open last week, continued their winning streak to beat Indonesia 2’s Dian Putra Santosa and Muhammad Bastomi 21-4 24-22, then secured a semi-final berth by seeing off Oman 1’s Haithem Khalfan Abdullah Al Shereiqi and Said Abdullah Al Subhi 21-15 21-15.
The Aussies are now eyeing two Thai title triumphs in just one week.
Kazakhstan 1’s Dyachenko and Sidorenko also found their touch. After an effortless 21-16 21-12 win over New Zealand 2’s O’Dea Sam and Heath on Monday, the Kazakhs secured a berth in the semi-finals without breaking sweat when China’s Li Lei and Gong Honcai failed to turn up for their quarter-final.
Reigning champions Varapatsorn and Tanarattha were to take on Jarunee and Usa in the all-Thai women’s semi-final clash later yesterday. The other semi-final encounter sees Australia 1’s Bawden and Clancy challenge Kazakhstan 1’s Mashkova and Tsimbalova.
In the men’s semi-finals, Kazakhstan 1’s Dyachenko/Sodorenko go up against Kazakhstan 2’s Dmitriy Yakovlev and Alexey Kuleshov, while New Zealand 1’s Ben Martin O’Dea and Jason William Lochhead take on Australia 1’s Isaac Kapa and McHugh.
