Can Tho, Vietnam, April 20, 2018 – Australian Phoebe Bell/Jessyka Ngauamo and Kazakhs Tatyana Mashkova/Irina Tsimbalova lived up to their billing as the top two seeds got off to winning starts on the opening day of the AVC Women’s Beach Volleyball Tour Vietnam Can Tho Open on Friday.

The single-gender competition is being held from April 20 to 23, 2018, with a total of 18 teams from 10 countries including Indonesia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Japan, New Zealand and Thailand vying for the top honour.

Thailand did not send their best teams to Vietnam as the 2016 Danang-hosted Asian Beach Games gold medallists Varapatsorn Radarong/Thanaratttha Udomchavee are now in China for the 4-star Xiamen Open, while the country’s second-best Rumpaipruet Numwong/Khanittha Hongpak have just completed their campaign on home sand in Songkhla, where they clinched silver medal at the AVC Beach Volleyball Tour “19th Samila Open.”

However, Sirinuch Kawfong/Anchara Changkham also proved well to be a strong team to be reckoned with in Vietnam as the Thailand 1’s pairing opened up with a magnificent come-from-behind 18-21 21-18 15-13 victory over Australia 2’s Brittany Kendall/Stefanie Weiler in the very first match of the tournament. Team-mates Chaninporn Muenphad/Thitika Simuang followed suits as the Thailand 2’s duo brushed off Hong Kong 1’s Yuen Ting Chi/Au Yeung Wai Yan 21-17 21-19 to enjoy a comfortable start.

However, both Thai teams had a mixed fortune in their second match on Friday, with Chaninporn/Thitika being sent packing 6-21 0-21 by Australia 1’s Bell/Ngauamo and Sirinuch/Anchara going down 19-21 15-21 to Kazakhs Mashkova/Tsimbalova.

The Australian duo next take on hosts Du Thi My Linh/Danh My Nhan on Saturday morning before playing Japan 2’s Reika Murakami/Suzuki Chiyo in the afternoon, while formidable Mashkova/Tsimbalova, silver medallists at the recent FIVB double-gender, 1-star World Tour in Pak Bara Beach Satun in Thailand, will play Vietnam 2’s Truing Thi Moc Nhat/Nguyen Thi Diem Trinh before going up against Hong Kong 2’s To Wing Tung/Kong Cheuk Yee in the afternoon clash.

Japan also made their mark on the opening day as Reika Murakami/Suzuki Chiyo made it two in a row. The Japan 2’s duo first powered past Vietnam 3’s Du Thi My Linh/Danh My Nhan 21-15 23-21 before outclassing Hong Kong 1’s Yuen Ting Chi/Au Yeung Wai Yan in a totally one-sided battle 21-12 21-13 in their second match of the day. Japan 1’s Takemi Nishibori/Ayumi Kusano thrashed Singapore 2’s Lau Yue Ting Rachel/Lim Wan Yong Vanessa in another lop-sided encounter 21-9 21-9.

The pool round-robin preliminaries continue on Saturday, the second day of the three-day event. Only top two teams from each pool will advance to the Sunday’s quarter-finals.

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