Published on December 29, 2005
[BEACH VOLLEYBALL] In a rematch of the SEA Games final in the Philippines early this month, Thailand B’s Yupa Phukrongploy and Usa Tenpaksee yesterday avenged their defeat to compatriots Jarunee Sannok and Kamolthip Kulna with a scintillating straight-set victory. On a scorching day at Patong Beach, the Phuket Thailand FIVB World Challenger Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournament kicked off with all four local teams advancing to the second round.
Thailand A’s Jarunee and Kamolthip struggled hard to beat American southpaws Alicia Polzin and Jenelle Koester 22-20 24-22, while Yupa and Usa mercilessly crushed Malaysia B’s Lim Poh Hong and Beh Shun Ting 21-12 21-14. Thailand C’s Kesinee Godtalang and Erawan Tongkamnak also registered their first win over Vietnamese Phan Thi Minh and Phan Thi Cam Hong 21-3 21-12.
In the second round against old foes Jarunee and Kamolthip, the 178cm tall southpaw Yupa, used her height advantage to close out a 23-21 win in the hard-fought first set. Jarunee and Kamolthip let their rivals dominate and forge ahead in the second set 8-6, but they soon woke up to even at 14. Yupa’s telling smashes evoked no returns and Thailand B lead 20-19. It was Yupa again who fetched the deciding point as her cross-court smash hit Jarunee’s hands while she was making a vain attempt to block it at the net. “I just had a short training session in the morning. It is really lucky that we won both the games,” Yupa, who took time off to visit her parents, said. Yupa and Usa will take on Bulgarian siblings Lina and Petia Yanchulova, the top seeds, tomorrow. “We will try our best though our chances of beating them are 50-50,” said Yupa. Kamolthip blamed the loss on the first ball reception. “I did not play well today. Thailand B played much better.” Elsewhere, Lina and Petia Yanchulova tamed Swedes Kerstin Hegner and Camilla Nilsson 21-7 21-12, Ukraine A’s Svitlana Baburina and Galyna Osheyko powered past Aussies Larraine Bush and Johannah Rohkamper 21-15 21-8 and Thailand D’s Nongluk Korsoongnern and Suphannee Doksantia outclassed Malaysia A’s Iswari Manokharan and Luk Tech Hua 21-12 21-17. Preechachan Wiriyanupappong The Nation Phuket
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