Nanjing, China, June 14, 2018 – Japan’s Reika Murakami/Chiyo Suzuki and Kaho Sakaguchi/Yukako Suzuki and China’s Lin Meimei/Zhu Lingdi made it to the next phase of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Silk Road Tangshan Open, winning their respective qualification matches.
Suzuki/Murakami skipped the first round with a bye, then prevailed in a tight battle with Italy’s Arianna Barboni/Silvia Costantini 2-1 (21-13, 14-21, 15-13) for the main draw spot.
Suzuki/Sakaguchi played well to win both their matches against Italy’s Gradini/Claudia Puccinelli 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) and England’s Jessica Grimson/Victoria Palmer 2-0 (23-21, 21-19), while M.M. Lin/ZHU Lingdi beat Canada’s Caleigh Cruickshank/Megan Nagy 2-0 (24-22, 21-18) and Latvia’s Alise Lece/Ilze Liepinlauska 2-1 (21-14, 18-21, 16-14).
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The United States’ Summer Nash/Jace Pardon also came up with double victories in the qualification round. The American pair triumphed over Sweden’s Sofia Ogren/Sofia Wahlen 2-1 (23-21, 20-22, 15-3) and Israel’s Noy Chori/Sofia Starov 2-0 (21-19, 24-22).
Meanwhile, European pairs Katja Stam/Julia Wouters of the Netherlands and Agata/Cenowa/Martyna Kloda of Poland are the fifth and sixth teams from qualification, which will move to the main draw.
Stam/Wouters and Kloda/Cenowa passed through the first round with a bye, then claimed victories over Canada’s Marie-Christine Lapointe/Charlotte Sider 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) and China’s Wang Jingwen/Yuan Lvwen 2-1 (27-29, 21-9, 15-10), respectively.