US spikers skewer rivals in Phuket

Reigning and world champions Ross and Kessy were joined in the semis by American compatriots and second-seeds Angela Akers and Tyra Turner (Turner is back after partnering Nicole Branagh to win silver last year).

Ross and Kessy struggled hard to overcome Marleen Van Iersel and Sanne Keizer 24-22 21-18 in 46 minutes and give the fourth-seeded Dutch pairing its first taste of defeat in the final event of the 2009 Swatch FIVB World Tour.

In a similar script, Akers and Turner found 30-seeded qualifiers Elisa Baquerizol and Liliana Fernandez Steiner of Spain a tough nut to crack. After the US pairing took the first set with ease 21-9, Baquerizol and Steiner dug in to win a hard-fought second set 21-19 before going down in the decider 10-15.

Kessy and Ross's first win of the day came earlier in the third round, where they brushed off 17-year-old Ying Huang and Xi Zhang of China for the third time in a row on the World Tour.

Meanwhile, organisers announced yesterday that the Open was officially the largest event in women's beach volleyball, having attracted a record-breaking 66 teams from 28 countries.

The competition continues through Sunday, with the semi-finals being played this afternoon followed by the medal matches tomorrow to decide which team will take home the US$30,000 first-place prize plus 600 FIVB world ranking points.