Higher-seeded teams pulled off convincing wins against lower-ranked opponents, as four pairings of hosts Chinese Taipei including two men’s teams succumbed to two losses in succession to unfortunately crash out of the “Taichung Bank” AVC Beach Tour Penghu Open at Aimen Beach, Penghu Islands on Thursday.
The action-packed Day 1 of the Penghu Open kicked off on Thursday, with teams giving their best to strive for their success in the double-gender event, which has served as the last AVC beach volleyball event from which players’ accumulated points will be taken into account in their qualification for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico from October 6 to 15, 2023.
In the women’s event, Japanese top seeds Miki Ishii/Sayaka Mizoe, who finished a well-earned fourth place at this year’s Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in Pingtan, China as well as the fifth position at the World Tour Itapema 2023 in Brazil, made a strong start with comfortable 21-8, 21-5 win against Macao, China’s Tam Kin Teng/Lei Keng Lai in a totally one-sided battle which lasted only 26 minutes in Pool A.
In the afternoon session, Tam and Lei revived their fortunes to produce comeback 2-1 (16-21, 21-19, 16-14) win against Chinese Taipei’s Wang Sin Ting/Li Yun-Ting. On Friday, the host duo will play a must-win match against Ishii/Mizoe to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
In Pool B, Japan’s second seeds Akiko Hasegawa/Yurika Sakaguchi brushed off Philippines’ Progella Khylem Hari/Pagara Sofiah Shanine 21-12, 21-7, but the Filipinas made amends to outclass Law Weng Sam/Leong On Ieng from Macao, China 21-13, 21-11.
Law and Leong will next go up against Akiko/Yurika on Friday.
Australian third seeds Georgia Johnson/Jasmine Fleming, who won the first Australia National Tour event of the year 2023 in Canberra, opened up with 21-13, 21-18 triumph over Chinese Taipei’s Ting Pei-Yin/Yang Yi Chen in Pool C.
The host girls later on the same day suffered two losses in a row following their 17-21, 13-21 letdown against Vanuatu’s Joe Loti/Willie Chantale Leow to be the first pairing of hosts Chinese Taipei to be eliminated from the event.
Johnson and Fleming will fight it out with the Vanuatu pairing on Friday to vie for the Pool C winners. However, both sides are ensured of finishing Top 2 in the Pool to next make the Round of 16.
Another Vanuatu pairing, fourth seeds Majabelle Lawac/Sherysyn Toko, and Hong Kong, China’s Lo…
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