Chinese Challenge Brazilians for Women's 1to1 Energy Open Gold Medal
（为夺取女沙1对1活力公开赛金牌，中国向巴西挑战）
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GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND, June 17, 2005 - With an "eye" on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the other "eye" on the upcoming SWATCH-FIVB World Championships in Berlin next week, Tian Jia and Wang Fei of China seek their first international gold medal in almost two years here Saturday in the women's final of the US$400,000 1to1 Energy Open.
（瑞士GSTAAD，2005年6月17日――一只眼睛盯着北京2008奥运会，另一只眼睛盯着下一周在柏林举行的SWATCH－FIVB世界锦标赛，中国的田佳和王菲将在星期六于奖金达40万美元的1对1活力公开赛中争夺久违了近两年的第一块国际金牌。）
After posting their second-straight upset over a team from Brazil with a 21-18 and 21-13 semi-final win in 39 minutes over fourth-seeded Ana Paula Connelly and Leila Barros here Friday, Tian Jia and Wang Fei challenge Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil for the $32,000 first-place prize Saturday afternoon.
（在星期五半决赛赛事中，仅仅用了39分钟以21：18和21：13击败四号种子巴西的Ana Paula Connelly and Leila Barros，田佳和王菲将在星期六下午和一号种子巴西的Juliana Felisberta Silva 和 Larissa Franca 争夺高达三万两千美元的冠军奖金。）
The top-seeded Juliana and Larissa advanced to their fourth-straight SWATCH-FIVB World Tour gold medal match earlier Friday by out-lasting second-seeded Shelda Bedê and Adriana Behar 19-21, 21-13 and 17-15 in 70 minutes in the All-Brazilian semi-final.
Shelda and Adriana, SWATCH-FIVB World Champions in 1999 and 2001 and two-time Olympic silver medalists, were seeking their fifth trip to Gstaad final. The veteran Brazilian pair won the crowns in 2000 and 2001, and finished second in 2002 and 2004.
"We are playing very well this week," said Wang Fei after the match. "We are really focused, especially with next week's world championships starting in four days. We feel good about beating a pair of Brazilian teams this week. They are the best players in the world. We'll have to play our best to defeat Juliana and Larissa.""
“这一周我们打的非常好，”王菲赛后说。“我们尤其真真正正在全神贯注下一周的世界锦标赛，这星期，我们击败两个巴西队，感觉不错。她们是世界上最佳的运动员。我们将一定全力以赴，击败Juliana and Larissa。”
The Chinese earned a spot in the semi-finals by defeating Shelda and Adriana Friday. Tian Jia and Wang Fei now compete for their third SWATCH-FIVB World Tour title after winning back-to-back events in 2003 in Bali and Italy.
"My legs feel good right now," said Wang Fei, who was hampered last season due to a late spring knee injury. "Obviously, my knee problems really hurt our Olympic chances. Only now am I feeling good about the strength in my knees. Without hurting my right knee last year in Japan, I felt we had a real chance to medal in Athens."
The Chinese, who have been playing together since 2001 and enter Saturday's final with an 18-7 match mark this season, placed ninth in the Athens Olympics after being eliminated by eventual gold medalists Misty May and Kerri Walsh of the United States.
Sunday's gold medal match will be the fifth-meeting between the two teams. Juliana and Larissa have won all four matches, including two victories in the 2004 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour season opener in the young Brazilian's first-ever international event together.
Juliana and Larissa enter next week's SWATCH-FIVB World Championships as the favorites aver winning 22 of 24 international matches this season. In not losing a match to a foreign team this season, both of their losses were to Ana Paula and Shaylyn Bedê in Japan. Juliana and Larissa have won their last 11 matches since losing the Osaka finale.
The 1to1 Energy Open is the first of five-straight mixed gender stops on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour. Led by Olympic and World Champions Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos, four Brazilian teams remain undefeated in the men's competition. Tandems from Australia, Austria and Switzerland won elimination matches Friday to remain in contention for Sunday's title match.
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