AUSTRALIA sent two teams to the women’s final four as two Thai tandems advanced to the men’s semifinals of the Smart Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open on Saturday.
Jasmine Fleming and Georgia Johnson emerged victorious over Tara Phillips and Elizabeth Alchin in an all-Aussie showdown, 22-20, 21-8, at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in the City of Sta. Rosa
They were joined in the semifinals by fellow Aussies Stefanie Fejes and Jan Milutinovic, who eliminated Thailand’s P. Woranatchayakorn and P. Charanrutwadee, 21-14, 21-13.
The Fleming-Johnson tandem takes on Japan’s Asami Shiba and Saki Maruyama, who stopped Indonesia’s Desi Ratnasari and Nur Sari Atika, 21-18, 21-11,
Fejes and Milutinovic battle Japan’s Suzuka Hashimoto and Reika Murakami, who sent New Zealand’s Olivia MacDonald and Danielle Quigley packing, 21-19, 21-17, in the event backed by Foton, Akari, Mikasa, Senoh, Seda, Asics, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+ and Pilipinas Live.
In men’s play, Thailand’s Tipjan Pithak and Taovato Poravid beat Indonesia’s Bintang Akbar and Sofyan Efendi, 21-18, 19-21, 15-13, to set up a semifinal match against D’Artagnan Potts and Ben Hood of Australia, who defeated Japan’s Yusuke Ishijima and Kensuke Shoji, 21-19, 18-21, 15-11.
The other Thai pair of Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai beat Iran’s Abdolhamed Mirzaali and Abolhassan Khakizadeh, 21-18, 15-21, 15-12, and will battle Iran’s Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab, who defeated Australia’s Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse, 21-16, 21-17.