Qinzhou, China, October 31, 2019 – Top-seeded Chinese pair Wang Fan and Xia Xinyi showed its might in its first match in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Qinzhou 3-star on Thursday, overpowering Ukraine’s Diana Lunina and Svitlana Baburina at the Maowei Sea Gold Beach in Qinzhou.
Wang and Fan started their campaign in pool play with a 2-0 (21-15, 21-16) win over their Ukrainian counterparts.
“We did our task for this match,” Wang said. “We showed great focus and played our best to win.”
The Chinese pair are seeking to improve their provisional Olympic ranking for Tokyo 2020 and their first victory keeps them moving into a positive direction for the coming year.
“We want to go to Tokyo 2020,” Wang added. “This tournament is important for us and want to win every match here. Each match victory will help us with the Olympic ranking to make it to Tokyo 2020.”
Second-seeded Australian duo Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar defeated Israel’s Sofia Starikov and Anika Dave 2-0 (21-15, 21-10) in Pool B, then third-seeded Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat of the United States beat young Spanish pair Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno 2-0 (21-16, 21-16) in Pool C.
The other seeded teams also started strong as they registered straight-set wins.
Germany’s Karla Borger/Julia Sude won against Ukraine’s sister tandem Inna/Iryna Makhno 2-0 (21-16, 21-17), then the United States’ Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil, Sara Hughes/Summer Ross and Emily Stockman/Kelley Larsen outclassed China’s Cao Shuting/Dong Jie and Lin Meimei/Zeng Jinjin, and Cyprus’ Mariota Angelopoulou and Daria Gurasova, respectively.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Paula Soria/Maria Belen Carro and Amaranta Fernandez/Angela Lobato, Japan’s Chiyo Suzuki/Yurika Sakaguchi and Yukako Suzuki/Yui Nagata, Vanuatu’s Miller Pata/Sherysyn Toko, , Austria’s Nadine/Teresa Strauss, France’s Aline Chamereau/Alexandra Jupiter, China’s Wang Xinxin/Xue Chen and Thailand’s Thanarattha Udomchavee/Rumpaipruet Numwong also succeeded on the first day.
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