Xue and Zhang clip the gold medal victory at 2010 Asian Games Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournament
The outstanding Women’s Beach Volleyball action in Guangzhou, China finally covered its length on Tuesday, 23rd November, 2010. In the final combat, both sides of the court were captured by Chinese players as it was all-China affair. Top-seeded
Xue Chen and Zhang Xi demonstrated an excellent play during the tournament and clawed their way to the final showdown by defeating Thailand’s Usa Tenpaksee/Jarunee Sannok in the semi-final combat. The taller and physically strong duo of Xue and Zhang was tipped
for the gold-ware on account of their firm attitude and skilful game.
On the other hand, the younger Chinese pair of second-seeded Yue Yuan and Huang Ying also followed the footsteps of their country mates and paved their way the final of Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournament at 16th Asian Games. Local and international
fans were thrilled to see the two sides in a head-to-head battle for supremacy on home soil. However, Xue and Zhang proved to be too good for triumph and got their hands on the title trophy. They comfortably defeated Yuan/Huang in two straight sets.
Xue Chen/Zhang Xi vs. Yue Yuan/Huang Ying 2-0 (21-14, 21-13)
Xue/Zhang opened the game on solid footing. Xue was on serve and she supplied plenty of power to the ball. She created a great vibe in the game, while Zhang took her position and complimented her partner. The commanding serves and fast spikes put the early
points on board for Xue/Zhang, while Yuan/Huang was yet to be on the scoreboard. Xue varied the length of serves, which created a lot of trouble for the opposite side. Huang threw her hand up in the air to block the speedy cut shorts but most of the shots
deflected from her hands. The nice delivery and placement of ball in gaps enabled Xue/Zhang to lead the game with better points. Afterwards, Yue exhibited great effort to receive the ball and returned a few shots back in the opponents’ court. Xue/Zhange added
quick points in their score and widened the gap. Ultimately, Yuan/Huang suffered the damage and lost the first set with a margin of 7 points.
The duo of Yuan/Huang put up a valiant effort in the second set to recover from the shock of defeat but they failed to stand the heavy strike by competitor side. Xue and Zhang had attained the perfect rhythm and tone to achieve victory. They put their magic
in the game and claimed second set at 21-13. Xue/Zhang clinched the gold medal, while Yuan/Huang settled for silver medal.
This is consecutive gold medal victory for Xue and Zhang at the Asian Games. The duo is determined to display their skill-set at the London 2012 Olympics Games. This victory is stepping stone for them.
Players’ Comments
The victorious pair was excited about the gold-medal victory. Zhang expressed her views after the match. She said,
“For me, it’s not easy to win this match. I admit that I was under pressure and played nervously. However, I tried to overcome my fear and nervousness with confidence. I succeeded eventually. Playing in the final is not that easy. You have to fight your
rivals and your pressure alike. Although this is our second gold medal in the Asian Games, excitement is not the same.”
She further added that, “In Doha, we were happy to win the gold medal for the first time, but here we have to defend our title which is much more difficult. Playing on home soil in front of a large crowd of spectators also made me so excited.”
Xue credited Zhang for backing her up during the tough and under pressure situations. She said that defending the title is somewhat more difficult task but they did it as a team.
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