Nantong, China, June 8, 2018 – Top-seeded Chinese pair Wang Xinxin/Xia Xinyi secured two victories on Friday at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Silk Road Nantong Open at the Nantong Adventure Land.
Wang X. X./X. Y. Xia opened the main draw tournament with a 2-1 (21-14, 19-21, 15-12) win over USA’s McKenna Thibodeau/Madison Witt, then stopped the 3-0 winning start of Israel’s Noy Chorin/Sofia Starikov with a tough 2-0 (21-19, 22-20) finish to top Pool A.
In last year’s edition of the Nantong Open, Wang and Xia faced each other in the finals with different partners. Xia and then partner Wen Shuhui took the title against Wang and former world champion Xue Chen.
Quick links - Beach volleyball:
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour - Nantong
The second seeds from Brazil – Josemari Alves/Liliane Maestrini – played two tough matches in Pool B but nevertheless prevailed against China’s Lin Meimei/Zhu Lingdi 2-0 (21014, 18-21, 15-7) and Italy’s Gaia Traballi/Agata Zuccarelli 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 15-10) to move to the Round of 16 on Saturday.
Russia’s Ksenia Dabizha/Daria Mastikova likewise reached the next round after they ruled Pool C by beating Italy’s Alice Gradini/Claudia Puccinelli 2-0 (21-11, 21-18) and Germany’s Lisa Arnholdt/Leonie Welsch 2-1 (24-22, 18-21, 15-5).
Japan’s Ayumi Kusano/Takemi Nishibori led Pool C with victories over the Czech Republic’s Sara Olivova/Karolina Rehackova 2-0 (21-16, 21-13) and Italy’s Arianna Barboni/Silvia Costantini 2-0 (21-18, 21-17), while the United States’ Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock reigned in Pool E as they triumphed against Thailand’s Prosnuda Kritsana/Yodsaphat Pakham 2-0 (21-19, 22-20) and China’s Wang Jingwen/Yuan Lvwen 2-0 (21-19, 21-12).
In Pool F, Norway’s Victoria Kjolberg/Ane Tveit Hjortland beat Hong Kong’s Wai Yan Au Yeung/Ting Chi Yuen 2-0 (21-14, 22-20) in the first round, then succeeded in closing the day’s action with a 2-1 (11-21, 21-14, 15-12) win over China’s Bai Bing/Qu Binhong.