China assault hosts Bahrain to resolve Pool A winners on Tuesday
Isa City, Bahrain, June 4, 2024 – On the day when Thailand’s title defence mission turned not possible, Asian powerhouses China, Pakistan, Korea and Australia topped their respective swimming pools and made it to the highly-anticipated quarterfinals of the 2024 AVC Problem Cup for Males on the Isa City Sports activities Metropolis Corridor C right here.
On Tuesday, the final day of the pool round-robin preliminaries, Kazakhstan upset Thailand 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-13) in Pool B, whereas Qatar demolished Indonesia 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-17) in Pool C, Vietnam overpowered Chinese language Taipei 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-14) in Pool D and China outplayed hosts Bahrain 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-16) in Pool A.
Three unbeaten groups Pakistan, Korea and Australia topped Swimming pools B, C and D respectively since completion of their pool play on Monday. Bahrain and China had already secured their quarterfinal berths following their convincing wins in opposition to the Philippines on the primary two days, however battled it out on Tuesday to find out the Pool A winners and China emerged triumphant.
Additionally making the reduce for the quarterfinals had been groups ending second in these 4 swimming pools that includes hosts Bahrain (Pool A), Kazakhstan (Pool B), Qatar (Pool C) and Vietnam (Pool D).
On the similar time, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Chinese language Taipei misplaced two matches in a row to complete third locations in Pool A, B, C and D respectively, ensuing of their relegation to Classification Spherical for Ninth-12 locations.
Contesting Pool B, world No. 66 Thailand, reigning champions and seventh place on the 2023 FIVB Challenger Cup in Doha, Qatar, made a dismal begin to their title defence marketing campaign as they succumbed to straight-set loss to world No.49 Pakistan, which captured the CAVA Nations League to their title.
The Monday’s letdown gave Thailand a must-win scenario of their second match in opposition to Kazakhstan, the workforce which had crushed them in straight units on the rescheduled Hangzhou Asian Video games in China final yr. Nonetheless, Thailand suffered one other setback on Tuesday once they went all the way down to the tall and towering Kazakhs in epic tie-breaker.
Thailand fielded the identical lineup which misplaced in straight units to Pakistan consisting of Kissada Nilsawai, Amornthep Khonhan, Jakkrit Thanomnoi, Anuchit Pakdeekaew, Anurak Phanram, setter Boonyarit Wongtorn and libero Tanapat Charoensuk. Kazakhstan had been additionally sturdy with the likes of highly-experienced Vitaliy Vorivodin, Aibat Netalin, Petr Churzin, Damir Akimov and Vladimir Prokofiev.
Thailand and Kazakhstan began strongly in comparable customary, with the previous using highly effective assaults from left-hander Amornthep and hard-hitting Jakkrit to take an preliminary 13-9 lead. Kazakhstan clawed their manner again, with Churzin and Vorivodin overcoming the Thai blockers with distinctive assaults to degree it at 15-15, lengthen the result in 22-20 earlier than taking the see-saw set 25-21.
Conceding one set, Thailand regained their composure within the second set and bounced again to take the slim lead with a two-point benefit at 15-13. They widened it to 23-21, courtesy of Supakorn Jenthaisong’s lethal cross-court spikes, and went on their good present to win the thrilling set 25-22.
The competitors intensified within the subsequent two units, with each side driving the momentum and the inspiration coming from their supporters on the grandstands and teammates yelling from their substitute bench to commerce assaults and blocks. Kazakhstan clinched the hard-fought third set 25-23 and Thailand made amends to seize the fourth set 25-19, forcing the tie-breaker to resolve the eventual winners.
The rhythm was with Kazakhstan within the decider as they brewed a strong mix of offense orchestrated by Netalin, Churzin and Vorivodin and good defence to remain in entrance with a four-point clear at 10-6. Thailand progressively pulled their sport collectively, with Jakkrit attacking devastatingly in an effort of snatching the momentum from the Kazakhs. Nonetheless, the Kazakhs used their top benefit to dam successfully on the web. After taking a slim 14-12 lead, Kazakhstan allowed Thailand just one extra level earlier than Churzin fired a strong spike to fully finish the Thai problem. Kazakhstan took the epic tie-breaker 15-13 and match.
Reverse Petr Churzin delivered 21 factors from 16 kills, 3 blocks and two aces for Kazakhstan, whereas Aibat Netalin and Vitaliy Vorivodin stored good firm to contribute 17 and 16 factors respectively. Amornthep Khonhan was the best participant for Thailand to attain 21 factors from 19 kills and two aces on the workforce’s loss.
Kazakhstan dominated the blocking sport, getting 19 stuffs to Thailand’s 9, apart from taking extra aces (6 to 4). Thailand did an excellent job of main their opponents in kills (60 to 55), additionally benefiting from extra opponent errors (34 to 26).
Following the hard-fought win, Kazakhstan, because the second-placed workforce from Pool B, joined Pakistan within the quarterfinals, whereas Thailand had been relegated to Classification Spherical for Ninth-Twelfth locations.
In Pool C, world No.22 Qatar, which picked up silver medal on the 2023 FIVB Challenger Cup on residence soil in Doha and bronze on the Asian Senior Males’s Championship in Iran on the identical yr, proved too sturdy for Indonesia to overwhelm the younger rivals with their better expertise and kind.
With principal attacker Ibrahim Ibrahim Mohamed, who scored a match-high 22 factors of their earlier match in opposition to the well-organized Korea, on the sidelines, Qatar remained sturdy offensively with the likes of veteran Youssef Oughlaf and hard-attacking Papemaguette Diagne.
Regardless of placing up a courageous struggle, Indonesia discovered the much-stronger Qataris unstoppable to go down in comfy straight units 17-25, 15-25, 17-25 to affix Pool C winners Korea within the quarterfinals, relegating the Indonesians to the Classification Spherical for Ninth-Twelfth locations.
Outdoors hitter Youssef Oughlaf chipped in with 14 factors for Qatar together with 12 kills from 23 makes an attempt, whereas Papemaguette Diagne added one other 12 factors.
Qatar restricted the rivals’ offense to the purpose that no rivals’ participant received to succeed in double digits in scoring in opposition to them. Prasasti Yohanes Dedi scored 9 factors on the Indonesia’s straight-set loss.
In Pool D, Vietnam, which suffered their first loss by the hands of Australia of their marketing campaign opener, superior to the quarterfinals after managing a 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-14) shutout of Chinese language Taipei, sixth place on the final yr’s Asian Senior Males’s Championship.
Studying that Vietnam should win this match to e-book their quarterfinal berth, Coach Tran Dinh Tien assembled the very best gamers to make sure a robust protection and efficient assaults on this would-be robust match in opposition to Chinese language Taipei.
Through the match, setter Dinh Van Duy made a notable contribution by skillfully coordinating fast and exact ball distribution, enabling the Vietnamese hitters to play with nice enthusiasm and kind.
With Nguyen Ngoc Thuan on hearth, Vietnam took the primary set with ease 25-15. The younger workforce from Chinese language Taipei recovered within the second set as exterior hitter Pan Yi-Jung and reverse Lo Wen-Feng mixed properly within the offensive system to degree it at 21-21, however the Vietnamese aspect, which completed fourth on the earlier version, nonetheless had sufficient to carry them off and received the closely-contested set 25-22.
The third set turned out to be one-way site visitors as Vietnam led from begin to end. Because the Vietnamese had been taking a commanding 24-14 lead, Nguyen Ngoc Thuan got here from behind to hammer a thunder spike for the set win 25-14, match and a slot within the quarterfinals.
The 25-year-old exterior hitter performed an enormous a part of the Vietnam’s victory to turn out to be the match’s prime scorer with 23 factors from 18 kills, two blocks and three aces, whereas Pan Yi-Jung led Chinese language Taipei with 14 factors.
Within the final match of the day earlier than a lot of residence audiences on the venue, world No.37 China, silver medallists on the Hangzhou Asian Video games and fourth place within the Asian Senior Males’s Championship final yr, handed hosts Bahrain the primary defeat.
Enjoying with out their skipper Jiang Chuan, China nonetheless began the primary set higher with star spiker Zhang Jingyin, 207cm, and Zhai Dejun penetrating the Bahraini defence with their highly effective assaults to race to 24-19 lead. Bahrain fought again laborious for a comeback, however their decided efforts had been denied as Zhang produced a thundering midcourt assault for the China’s assured 25-20 win.
The second set was extra aggressive. China gained the higher hand to steer 15-11 and widened the hole to 20-16. Bahrain, strengthened by exterior hitters Ali Sayed Hashem and Abdulla Mohamed Yaqoob, turned issues round and mightily counter-attacked to win 4 factors in succession to degree it at 20-20.
Nonetheless, Bahrain turned extra inclined with unforced errors, leaving China to play cool beneath stress. One other mistake by Bahrain value them pricey because the Chinese language reached the set level at 24-21. A quick spike from Abdulla Mohamed earned Bahrain one other life, however their delight was short-lived. An erratic serve by Anan Naser gave China the eventual 25-22 win on this thrilling set.
China nonetheless performed a lot better within the third set to steer 21-15 and allowed the host aspect just one extra level to wrap up the set 25-16, with left-hander Wang Jingyi hitting a cross-court winner.
Zhai Dejun registered 13 factors from 9 kills and team-leading 4 blocks for China, with Wang Jingyi and Zhang Jingyin contributing 11 and 9 factors respectively. Center blocker Abdulla Mohamed scored 8 factors on hosts Bahrain’s loss.
Solely two matches might be contested on Wednesday. Philippines will tackle Indonesia in Classification Spherical for Ninth-Twelfth locations, with Chinese language Taipei difficult Thailand.
The electrifying quarterfinal matchups will happen on Thursday, with China taking over Qatar, Kazakhstan dealing with off in opposition to Australia, Pakistan taking part in Vietnam and Bahrain going up in opposition to Korea.
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