MANILA, Philippines — OLYMPIANS Xue Chen and Xia Xinyi gun for a second straight continental title but now with new partners as they reached the women’s finals of the Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships on Saturday at the Nuvali Sand Courts in the City of Santa Rosa.
Xue Chen, an Olympic bronze medalist and former world champion, marched on to the final with Zeng Jinjin as they beat Jana Milutinovic and Stefanie Fejes of Australia, 22-20, 14-21, 15-13.
Xue and Zeng Jinjin defeated the Alas Pilipinas teen tandem of Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara in straight sets in the knockout rounds.
Two-time Olympian Xia and new partner Wang Jingzhe, meanwhile, defeated Japan’s Asami Shiba and Saki Maruyama, 21-17, 21-15, to set up an all Chinese-final in the tournament backed by Nuvali, Ayala Land, Rebisco, Smart, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, City of Santa Rosa, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Akari, Sip, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports Plus, Pilipinas Live, Asian Volleyball Confederation and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
Xia and Wang, who earlier eliminated the Philippines’ Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda, also had a straightforward win over the Japanese pair, finishing in 37 minutes.
Fejes and Milutinovic, the AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open champions in April, looked set for another appearance in a final in Santa Rosa as they led early in the third set but Xue and Zeng clawed their way back and sealed the win in 51 minutes.
In men’s play, the top-rated pair of Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher won an all-Australian quarterfinal showdown with Australia’s Joshua Howat and Luke Ryan, 21-11, 29-27, in the quarterfinals of the continental meet held under the auspices of the PNVF and the AVC, both headed by Ramon “Tats” Suzara.
China’s Wu Jiaxin and Ha Likejiang came up with a huge victory, eliminating 2023 champions Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert of Australia, 23-21, 21-18.
AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open champion Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab of Iran stayed on track in the bid for another title in the City of Santa Rosa, turning back compatriots Bahman Salemiinjehboroun and Abolhassan Khakizadeh, 20-22, 26-24, 1513.
Australia’s D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse overcame a sluggish start, beating Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Yakolev and Sergey Bogatu, 17-21, 21-17, 15-12. TMT
