Thais Perform Well at Loma-Sang Som Asian Beach Volleyball Invitation
Thailand's Sitthichai Sangkhachot and Damrongrit Chantra punctured the invincibility of Indonesians Andy Adriyansah and Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro with a stunning two-set win to cruise their ways to the men's semi-finals of the Phatthalung-Loma-Sang Som Asian Beach Volleyball Invitation at Lampam Beach on Thursday.
Sitthichai and Damrongrit, home team's No 3, were inexperienced tactically and technically compared with the champions at the last year's South East Asian Games and at the last week's Asian meet in Hyderabad. However, the Thai duo fared well to eventually defy against all the odds to beat the formidable Indonesians in straight sets 21-14 21-15.
"We had entered the match without any pressure as we knew where we stood compared to the Indonesians," Sitthichai said. "But we were secretly hoping to beat them," he added.
The giant-killers, who earlier defeated Kazakhstan B's Tkachenko Roman and Yussupov Maxim 21-9 21-17, next face New Zealand A's Greg Lindsay and Russel Watson in the Friday's semi-finals.
Thailand A's Borworn Yungthin and Sathaporn Sawangrueng beat compatriots Apichart Bualuang and Akkhadech Namno-rin 21-19 21-16 to reach the last four, where they will take on Iran's Azim Jazideh and Ebrahim Sansabali.
In the women's category, title-hotshots and reigning champs Kamolthip Kulna and Yupa Phukrongploy of Thailand A advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Li Yang and Hu Anna of China B 21-13, 22-20. The top seeds next meet China A's Zhang Dan and Ma Yuanyuan.
Thailand B's Jarunee Sannok and Usa Tenpaksee, who routed Vietnam A's Phan Thi Cam Hong and Huynh Do Hong Loan 21-11 21-10 in the quarter-finals, next play Tatyana Mashkova and Alexandra Turichsheva of Kazakhstan in the other semi-finals.
Thailand C's Maneerat Udomchawee and Jalalak Radarong finally tasted victory after powring past New Zealand's Micah Lindsay-Brown and Emma Preston 14-21 21-18 15-7 in their last Group D game.