Thai teams dig themselves a big hole
[BEACH VOLLEYBALL] Thailand's top two teams face a do-or-die battle today after failing to get off the mark in the first round of the inaugural Phuket Thailand Open at Karon Beach yesterday.
In the first round of the US$200,000 event, all squads have to record two wins to progress further.The local girls have one win against one loss but still have a chance to advance to the next round if they win today's play-off matches. Thailand's No 2 pairing of Yupa Phukrongploy and Usa Tenpaksee had no answer to the powerful spikes of the 2004 Athens Olympics champions, Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor of the US and went down 21-13 21-14. The two-time SEA Games winners, Kamolthip Kulna and Jarunee Sannok, edged out Tatiana Barrerra and Virginie Kadjo of France 21-17 21-19. However later in the day, Kamolthip and Jarunee fell to the American second seeds Nicole Branagh and Eliane Youngs, 21-17 21-13, while Yupa and Usa kept their hopes of advancing to the second round alive by defeating Sarah Maxwell and Marie Andree Lessard of Canada 21-18 21-16. Today Kamolthip and Jarunee will meet world No 21 Tamara Larrea Peraza and Dalixia Fernandez Grasset of Cuba, while Yupa and Usa face Merel Mooren and Rebekka Kadijk of the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the top seeds cruised into the second round after winning their first two matches. The 2005 World champions Walsh and May-Treanor routed compatriots Rachel Wacholder and Jennifer Boss 21-13 21-16. China's world No 2 Tian Jia and Wang Jie China beat England's Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns 21-18 21-18 and then trounced Rebekka Kadijk and Merel Mooren of the Netherlands 21-7 21-14. China's world No 3 Xue Chen and Zhang Xi defeated Muriel Graessli and Nadia Erni of Switzerland 21-19, 21-16 and compatriots Wang Lu and Ji Linjun 17-21 21-16 15-11. French qualifiers Morgane Faure and Virginie Sarpaux edged out world No 25 Kathrine Maaseide and Susanne Glesnes of Norway 21-19 21-19 before beating Giulia Momoli and Lucilla Perrotta of Italy 21-14 19-21 15-9. German world No 10 Rieke Brink Abeler and Hella Jurich won 21-17 14-21 15-13 over Nancy Mason and April Ross and 21-15 21-18 over World No 29 Hana Klapalova and Tereza Petrova of Czech Replublic. World No 9 Nila Ann Hakedal and Ingrid Torlen from Norway downed Swiss Annik Skrivan and Nadine Zumkehr 21-17 21-15 and Bulgarian Lina Yanchulova and Petia Yanchulova 24-22 21-12. Today the play-off matches start at 9am, while the third round begins at 11am. Somporn Suphop The Nation Phuket
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