Croatian duo ambitious for victory – 2011 FIVB Youth World Women Championship
The 2011 FIVB Youth World Championship is underway in Umag, Croatia. The host country is playing with three women’s tandems in the competition.
AlisaHasanbegovic and Tena Sunic emerged as the first team of Croatia, who pulled off success in their opening matches. The Croatian team opened the tournament in the Main-Draw and played two matches on Thursday, June 23. In the first match, they contested
their abilities and talent with compatriot duo of Sara and Josipa. They proved to be better side and defeated country-mates in two straight sets. The next match was another display of great game by Alisa and Tena. They were challenged by Ukrainian pairing,
which comprised of Khmaladze and Lesunenko. Croatian stars sparked on the scene and added another victory to their count by beating Ukraine.
Alisa-Tena vs. Sara-Josipa 2-0 (21-14, 21-15)
The match was held at 11:00 in morning, where both sides of the court were occupied by Croatian players. The opening match of the day saw an average number of fans in the sports arena but spectators kept coming afterwards. Alisa/Tena started off well and
quickly built a lead in the early few minutes. They seemed to be fully prepared for an amazing performance. On the other hand, Sara-Josip committed a few reception errors and suffered the damage. Alisa-Tena threw unstoppable speed-bombs and created trouble
for the opposite side. The scoreboard saw a phenomenal change as Alisa attacked from various angles. The first set was dominated by Alisa-Tena. They played sensibly and secured opening set with a margin of 7 points.
Following the loss of opening set, Sara/Josipa changed the game plan in second set. They traded places and tried to equal the score in second set. They put up combined effort and struggled break the rhythm of opponents. Nonetheless, the resilient rivals
remained ahead of them and denied their effort. Alisa covered the net area, while Tena quickly moved across the court. Their good defence tactics and wonderful attack shots enabled them to cover the length of second set with success. Alisa-Tena claimed second
set and announced match victory.
Alisa-Tena vs. Khmaladze- Lesunenko 2-0 (21-19, 21-16)
It was the second appearance of both teams. Croatia had the advantage of winning their previous match, while duo from Ukraine was down with early burns of defeat in the opening match. Hence, Croatian team was in better position to hold the opponents off.
The match started out and both sides produced powerful jump-serves. As the game progressed, Alisa-Tena realized that Ukrainian team is comparatively better. They found a strong rivalry in the form of Khmaladze and Lesunenko.
Anyhow, Croatian tandem played with good energy and tried to put pressure on the opponents. Ukrainian side defended well and resisted in full force. They tackled the strong pushes of Croatian players and saved some crucial points. In the meantime, they also
poked the ball in rare gaps and showcased their game skills. Long rallies were exchanged, while the scoreboard showed a nominal difference of points. The top-seeded Croatian duo formulized a new strategy to deal with rivals after the second technical timeout.
They played fast and directed the ball in corners. The idea perfectly worked and Croatia paved its way to first-set win.
Success in first set allowed Croatia to push the opponents behind the attack line. The home team influenced the visitors and restricted them to a low score in second set. Better attack and defence led the Croatian duo to success. Croatian pair of Alisa and
Tena finished the day with an over score of 2-0.
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