CHINA DOMINATE AVC BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOUR 19th SAMILA OPEN – Asian Volleyball Confederation

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Songkhla, Thailand, April 17, 2018 – China maintained their stranglehold over the AVC Beach Volleyball Tour with a clean sweep at the 19th Samila Open, with Gao Peng/Li Yang producing a magnificent comeback 2-1 win over Indonesia to clinch the men’s title and Wang Fan/Xia Xinyi stunning Thailand and their cheering home supporters to capture the women’s crown on Tuesday.

China 2’s Gao Peng and Li Yang, who last month returned from the 5-star Fort Lauderdale in the USA with heads low in disappointment with a distant 41st place, shot to prominence on Tuesday when they recovered after the first set down to Pribadi Danangsyah/Ramadhan Gilang to beat the formidable Indonesians in hard-fought three-setter 21-23 21-15 15-9 in the men’s final showdown.

“The Indonesians played very well in this final match, pushing us to the limits with their good attacks and great serves. However, we also fought back well to stand a chance of eventually winning the title. We had trained in Rio, Brazil for around two months this year. Li Yang and I have been partners for almost 10 years. I’m very happy to win the Samila Open,” said the strongly-built Gao Peng after his attendance in the awards presentation.

The loss of the Danang/Gilang duo, who reportedly will represent hosts Indonesia for the 18th Asian Games coming August, was another nightmare for the Indonesians in Songkhla after Candra Ade Rachamawan/Mohammad Ashfiya also lost in the last year’s final of the Asian Senior Beach Championships, the “18th Samila Open” here.

The third place went to Iranians Salemiinjehboroun Bahman/Arash Vakili following their convincing 21-18 21-14 victory in the bronze-medal match against Japanese Takahashi Takumi/Yusuke Ishijima. Last year, Salemiinjehboroun teamed up with Raoufi Rahmand to win the gold medal in the 18th edition.

The semi-finals earlier saw Chinese Gao/Li brush off the Salemiiniehboroun/Vakili duo 2-0, while Indonesians Danang/Gilang avenged the loss of Indonesia 1’s Candra Rachamawan/Ashfiya to Takahashi/Yusuke by beating the Japanese 2-1.

In the women’s event, China 1’s Xia Xinyi, who partnered Ma Yuanyuan to win the Incheon Asian Games gold medal four years ago in Korea, teamed up with Wang Fan, who won the bronze medal in Incheon with previous partner Yue Yuan, to win the title and give China a clean sweep in the 19th Samila Open.

Wang/Xia proved too strong for young Rumpaipruet Numwong/Khanittha Hongpak, who finished a well-earned third place at the last week’s one-star World Tour Pak Bara Beach Satun, thrashing the Thai tandem 21-18 21-16 to be crowned the women’s champions.

It was a successful comeback for Wang Fan, who last year teamed up with Yue Yuan to pick up silver medal in Songkhla. The victory also augers well for the Wang/Xia’s next stop at the 4-star World Tour on home sand in Xiamen between April 18 to 22. The Chinese duo have already booked their place in the main draw.

Meanwhile, Indonesians Dhita Juliana/Putu Utami, who returned disappointed last year with the fourth-place finish in Songkhla, took the bronze medal this time following a hard-fought 2-1 (22-20 15-21 15-11) win over Australians Bell Phoebe/Jessyska Ngauamo.

In the morning semi-finals, Thais Rumpaipruet/Khanittha Hongpak sent Bell/Jessyska packing 2-0, while Wang/Xia also did likewise following a comfortable 2-0 win over Dhita/Putu.

TUESDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
MEN
SEMI-FINALS
Gao Peng/Li Yang (China 2) b Salemiinjehboroun Bahman/Arash Vakili (Iran 2) 2-0 (21-18 21-17); Pribadi Danangsyah/Ramadhan Gilang (Indonesia 2) b Takahashi Takumi/Yusuke Ishijima (Japan 1) 2-1 (13-21 21-17 15-13)

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF: Salemiinjehboroun Bahman/Arash Vakili (Iran 2) b Takahashi Takumi/Yusuke Ishijima (Japan 1) 2-0 (21-18 21-14)

FINAL: Gao Peng/Li Yang (China 2) b Pribadi Danangsyah/Ramadhan Gilang (Indonesia 2) 2-1 (21-23 21-15 15-9)

WOMEN
SEMI-FINALS
Rumpaipruet Numwong/Khanittha Hongpak (Thailand 1) b Bell Phoebe/Jessyska Ngauamo (Australia 1) 21-13 21-15; Wang Fan/Xia Xinyi (China 1) b Dhita Juliana/Putu Utami (Indonesia 1) 2-0 (21-13 21-15)

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF: Dhita Juliana/Putu Utami (Indonesia 1) b Bell Phoebe/Jessyska Ngauamo (Australia 1) 2-1 (22-20 15-21 15-11)

FINAL: Wang Fan/Xia Xinyi (China 1) b Rumpaipruet Numwong/Khanittha Hongpak (Thailand 1) 2-0 (21-18 21-16)

FINAL STANDING
MEN
1. Gao Peng/Li Yang (China 2)
2. Pribadi Dapnangsyah/Ramadhan Gilang (Indonesia 2)
3. Salemiinjehboroun Bahman/Abolhamed Mirzaali (Iran 2)
4. Takahashi Takumi/Yusuke Ishijima (Japan 1)
5. Ha Likejiang/Wu Jiaxin (China 1); Candra Ade Rachmawan/Mohammad Ashfiya (Indonesia 1); Cherif Younousse/Ahmed Tijan (Qatar); Nuttanon Inkiew/Sedtawat Padsawud (Thailand 1)
9. Thomas Hodges/Marcus Ferguson (Australia 2); Zachery Schubert/Tim Dickson (Australia 1); Wong Pui Lam/Kelvin Lau Tsz Ho (Hong Kong 1); Raoufi Rahman./Abohamed Mirzaaii (Iran 1); Katsuhiro Shiratori/Yuya Ageba (Japan 2); Sergey Bogatu/Dmitriiy Yakovlev (Kazakhstan 2); Kitti Duangjinda/Narongdet Kangkon (Thailand 3); Surin Jongklang/Adisorn Khaolumtarn (Thailand 2)
17. Pok Man Yeung/Chui Kam Lung (Hong Kong 2); Alexey Sidorenko/Alexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan 1); Rafi/Raja Nazmi (Malaysia); Al Subhi Badar Said Abdullah/Alhashmi Mazin (Oman 1); Shen/ Fan Yang Mark/Kingsley Tay (Singapore 2); Tan Trevis/Pai Poon Jie (Singapore 1); Nguyen Ba Truong Dang/Pham Le Dinh Khoi (Vietnam)

WOMEN
1. Wang Fan/Xia Xinyi (China 1)
2. Rumpaipruet Numwong/Khanittha Hongpak (Thailand 1)
3. Dhita Juliana/Putu Utami (Indonesia 1)
4. Bell Phoebe/Jessyka Ngauamo (Australia 1)
5. Wang Xinxin/Bai Bing (China 2); Desi Ratnasari/Eka Yokebed (Indonesia 2); Ayumi Kusano/Takemi Nishibori (Japan 1); Tatyana Mashkova/Irina Tsimbalova (Kazakhstan 1)
9. Kendall Brittany/Stefanie Weiler (Australia 2); Ng Tin Lai/Wong Yuen Mei (Hong Kong 2); Au Yeung Wai Yan/Yuen Ting Chi (Hong Kong 1); Suzuki Chiyo/Reika Murakami (Japan 2); Pawarun Chanthawichai/Thatsarida Singchuea (Thailand 4); Pronsuda Kritsana/Yodsaphat Pakham (Thailand 2); Kou Nai-Harn/Liu Pi Hsin (Chinese Taipei 1); Yu Ya-Hsuan/Pan Tzu-Yi (Chinese Taipei 2)
17.Alina Rachenko/YYelizaveta Yeropkina (Kazakhstan 2); Jessie Lai/Joo Shu Woon (Malaysia); Eliza Chong/Serene Ng (Singapore 1); Vanessa Lim Wan Yong/Lau Rachel Yue Ting (Singapore 2); Sumintra Sow/Chanthira Khanok (Thailand 3); Truong Duong Thi My/Nguyen Thi Cam Tien (Vietnam)

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