Wang/Yue overcome two pairs to make FIVB Xiamen Open semis

China's female duo Wang Fan/Yue Yuan stunned two pairs from Germany and the Netherlands to enter the semifinals of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Xiamen Open here on Saturday.

In the second round of the main draw, Wang/Yue upset the Germany pair Glenzke/Grossner 21-9, 21-14, showcasing stronger power of service and block.

They had an excellent beginning of 5-0 in the first set and did not meet much challenge to seal the win. The Germans tried to push back in the second set and nail-bit the score from 4-4 tie to 12-12 tie, but failed to turn the tide.

Wang/Yue overcame the challenges from Dutch pair Stubbe J./Sinnema in the quarterfinals 21-12, 14-21, 15-6. The Chinese duo got 4 straight points after 4-4 tie in the first set and kept the lead till the end.

The Dutch pair stroke back in the second set, pushing the Chinese to lose 4 consecutive points after 3-3 tie. Wang/Yue did not fill the deficit and the match went to the decider. Yue made the final kill by taking powerful service to seal the victory.

"We played well today. I made the strong service and pushed pressure on the opponents. This is our strategy," said Yue. "We had too many turnovers in the second set while fighting against the Netherlands, but luckily we saved the match in the deciding set."

"Yue's service destroyed the opponents' defence, making direct scores sometimes, and I felt less pressure," said Wang. "I was a bit anxious at the second set while encountering their blocks."

The semifinals and finals of the 150,000 U.S. dollars tournament will be played on Sunday. Enditem