FIVB文章
Chinese & Brazilians Net 1to1 Energy Open Women's "Final Four" Spots
中国和巴西选手成为瑞士1对1活力公开赛的女沙四强
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GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND, June 16, 2005 - After losing their first four matches this season to two-time SWATCH-FIVB World Champions Shelda Bedê and Adriana Behar of Brazil, Tian Jia and Wang Fei of China finally posted a win here Thursday afternoon to advance to the "final four" of the US$400,000 1to1 Energy Open.
(瑞士,Gstaad,2005年6月16日――在全胜四场赛事后,巴西的Shelda Bedê and Adriana Behar和中国的田佳与王菲步入总奖金为40万美元的1对1活力公开赛的女沙四强。)
Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca also won three matches Thursday like the Chinese to advance to their fourth-straight semi-final this season as both teams await winners of elimination Friday in the centre of this Swiss Alps village.
With a 1-7 mark entering Thursday's semi-final qualifying match against the second-seeded Shelda and Adriana with the only win being in the gold medal match of a 2003 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event in Milan, Italy, the sixth-seeded Chinese posted a 21-16 and 21-18 win in 40 minutes over their Brazilian rivals. Tian Jia and Wang Fei qualified for their second semi-final this season and sixth overall in 42 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour events.
(2003年意大利米兰SWATCH-FIVB世界巡回赛金牌运动员,6号种子中国的田佳-王菲,在40分钟内,以21比16和21:18,战胜2号种子巴西的Shelda与Adriana获得这个赛季的第二次半决赛资格,这也是她们在42次SWATCH-FIVB世界巡回赛事中,第六次获得半决赛资格。)
The top-seeded Juliana and Larissa, who are now 21-2 this season, advanced to Friday afternoon's first semi-final match with a 21-9 and 21-19 win in 42 minutes over fourth-seeded Ana Paula Connelly and Leila Barros of Brazil. Juliana and Larissa now have eight "final four" appearances in 14 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour starts together.
Both of Thursday's final winners were excited about their play, especially the Chinese. "The more we play Shelda and Adriana, the more and more confident we become," said Tian Jia, who placed ninth at the Athens Olympic Games with Wang Fei. "The difference today was mistakes. We played consistently throughout the match and had very few mistakes."
(第4轮的两场赛事赢得非常精彩,尤其是中国队。“我们与Shelda and Adriana交锋越多,我们就变得越来越自信。”田佳说。她和王菲拍档在雅典奥运会排名第九。“今天的差异在失误,在整场比赛中,我们失误少。”)
For the 21-year old Juliana, her partnership with Larissa is "nothing special. We just enjoy playing together. We are focused and take advantage of our god-given skills." Juliana is the youngster player ever to win a women's "open" SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event (2004 Mallorca).
The young Brazilians' only two setbacks this season on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour were to Ana Paula and Shaylyn Bedê in Japan. Juliana and Larissa won events in China and Italy this year with a silver medal finish in Osaka. Juliana and Larissa have a 71-19 match mark with $222,000 in earnings. Juliana and Larissa finished second to Shelda and Adriana on 2004 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour point's standings.
The women's 1to1 Energy Open resumes Friday with two rounds of elimination matches. Adriana and Shelda play the winner of the match between fifth-seeded Stephanie Pohl/Okka Rau of Germany and 11th-seeded Renata Ribeiro/Talita Antunes Rocha of Brazil for a spot opposite Juliana and Larissa in the semi-finals. Shelda and Adriana won the first two 1to1 Energy Open titles in 2000 and 2001 before placing second in 2002 and 2004, and third in 2003.
Ana Paula and Leila face the victors of the match 16th-seeded Angela Clarke/Kylie Gerlic of Australia and seventh-seeded Susanne Lahme/Danja Müsch to play Tian Jia and Wang Fei in the other "final four" match Friday afternoon.
The women's 1to1 Energy Open, the first of five-straight mixed gender stop on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour, concludes Saturday where the gold medal team shares the $32,000 first-place prize.