Daegu, Korea, July 15, 2017 – Top seeds Miki Ishii and Megumi Murakami of Japan made it through to the semi-finals of the 1-star FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Daegu Tournament on Saturday.
The World No. 49 pair beat New Zealand’s sixth seeds Shaunna Polley/ Kelsie Wills 2-0 (22-20, 21-15) and will face the 10th-seeded Czech duo of Katerina Valkova and Diana Zolnercikova for a place in the final. The Czechs downed 11th-seeded Canadians Amanda Harnett and Kelsey Veltman in straight sets (21-17, 21-15).
Japan’s other pair in the tournament were eliminated in a first-round match on Saturday afternoon. Fifth seeds Sayaka Mizoe/ Suzuka Hashimoto were well beaten by the second-seeded Thai pair of Varapatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee 2-0 (21-13, 21-16).
In the final first-round match, USA’s Amanda Dowdy/ Irene Pollock, seeded ninth, prevailed 2-0 (21-18, 24-22) in a tough tie against Denmark’s Cecilie Olsen and Laerke Grondfeldt, the eighth seeds.
New Zealand’s other representatives in the tournament, seventh seeds Julia Tilley/ Alice Bain, were also eliminated after a close match with Germany’s Lisa Arnholdt and Leonie Welsch. The Germans won the match 2-1 (26-24, 18-21, 16-14) and will face Radarong/ Udomchavee in Sunday’s semi-finals. The Thais beat Dowdy/ Pollock 21-19, 21-17.