Japan swept aside the Hong Kong team 3-0 at the 2010 Asian Games men's volleyball preliminaries at Zhongda Gymnasium on Wednesday.

With a 25-11, 25-16, 25-12 victory over Hong Kong, the Japanese top Group D and secured a spot in the top-eight placement bracket.

Host China and South Korea also made it to the top eight after respective victories on Wednesday.

Japan aced the first serve of the match and never let up, taking the first set 25-11. Hong Kong tried to get their first set win at the Asian Games but could not find any chances from their powerful opponents.

Japan's bench players saw minutes in the final match of the group while Shimizu Kunihiro, Ishijima Yusuke, Yoneyama Yuta and Yamamura Kota, the top four scorers for Japan through the first three games, sat on bench and played one set each during the match.

China beat Thailand with a sensational victory of 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 27-25.

The two teams, both unbeatable after two preliminary rounds, need to win this match to ensure a better position in the top-eight play-offs. However, China's high jumpers were proven a cut above the Thai team, especially on defending in the latter part of the match.

China will face Doha Asiad bronze medalists Saudi Arabia in the next match on Friday, while Thailand meet Iran, who had a 4-0 record in the group stage and did not drop a single set.

Also on Wednesday, South Korea trounced Kazakhstan 25-16, 25-14, 25-22 to finish top of Group B, while Saudi Arabia also recorded a 3-0 victory over Turkmenistan in a Group C match.

South Korea will clash with Japan in their top-eight play-off on Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2010)