Asian Games 2018 - Beach Volleyball. China wins Women's Gold. Qatar and Indonesia push China outside the medals.

Men's

The Men's Beach Volleyball event witnessed the frantic action, as seeds began to fall like nine pins as the game progressed to the rear end of the knockout stages. Beach Volleyball was introduced during the 1998 Bangkok Asiad.

China has been the most successful nation at the Games claiming 3 Golds, 3 Silvers, and 2 Bronze out of 5 games. Japan in 2002, Busan and Kazakhstan the defending champions at Incheon, took home the Golds. This is the first time in Men's Beach Volleyball history does China finish outside of the medal brackets.

Finals:

Janko and Samba took out the Indonesian duo after a tough first setter to take the Gold.

Janko – Samba (QAT) defeat Rachmawan – Ashfiya (INA) 26-24, 21-17.

Bronze Medal:

The Indonesian pair of Ramadhan and Pribadi took out the Chinese in 3 sets lasting 50 mins. The result ended the Chinese dominance as for the first time in the history of Beach Volleyball at the Asian games they had to go home without a medal.

Ramadhan – Pribadi (INA) defeat Gao – Li (WR 43) (CHN) 21-15, 19-21, 15-6.

Semi-finals:

The Chinese, for the first time, failing to win a medal - Gao & Li of China

Janko – Samba continued their giant-killing spree by taking out the top seeds in straight sets. The match lasted for 45 mins with the second set going up to 26 points before Qatar pulled off the victory.

Janko – Samba (QAT) defeat Gao – Li (WR 43) (CHN) 21-18, 26-24.

Rachmawan – Ashfiya (INA) defeated Ramadhan – Pribadi (INA) 21-13, 21-19.

Quarter-finals:

Ramadhan – Pribadi (INA) defeated Al-Jalbubi – Al-Hashmi (OMA) 21-16, 21-16.

Gao – Li (WR 43) (CHN) defeat Mirzaali – Raoufi (WR 145) (IRI) 21-15, 21-17.

Rachmawan – Ashfiya of Indonesia took the Silver (Image courtesy: FIVB)

Rachmawan – Ashfiya (INA) defeated Wu – Aboduhalikejiang (CHN) 21-16, 19-21, 15-7.

The Qatarian combo of Janko and Samba proved deadly as they accounted for the much fancied Iranian duo in 3 sets lasting 58 mins.

Janko – Samba (QAT) defeat Vakili – Salemiinjehboroun (WR 151) (IRI) 21-16, 18-21, 15-11.

Round of 16:

Janko – Samba (QAT) defeat Kuleshov – Babichev (KAZ) 21-8, 21-19.

Mirzaali – Raoufi (WR 145) (IRI) won against Inkiew – Padsawud (THA) 21-18, 21-16.

Rachmawan – Ashfiya (INA) defeated Jongklang – Khaolumtarn (THA) 21-17, 21-18.

Al-Jalbubi – Al-Hashmi (OMA) won against Alarqan – Al-Qishawi (PLE) 21-11, 21-17.

Gao – Li (WR 43) (CHN) defeat Al-Housni – Al Shereiqi (OMA) 18-21, 21-18, 17-15.

The new Chinese pair of Wu – Aboduhalikejiang took 56 mins to get over the fancied Japanese duo in 3 sets, with the last set going till the end.

Wu – Aboduhalikejiang (CHN) won against Hasegawa – Shimizu (WR 119) (JPN) 21-15, 18-21, 15-13.

Ramadhan – Pribadi of Indonesia won a Bronze (Image Courtesy: Asian Games 2018)

The Indonesian pair of Ramadhan – Pribadi defeated the higher ranked Kazakh pair in a tough 3 setter which lasted 49 mins to book a place in the quarterfinals.

Ramadhan – Pribadi (INA) defeat Yakovlev – Bogatu (WR 251) (KAZ) 18-21, 21-13, 15-12.

The Iranian duo accounted for the second Japanese pair in straight sets which lasted 36 mins.

Vakili – Salemiinjehboroun (WR 151) (IRI) won against Ageba – Shiratori (WR 132) (JPN) 21-18, 21-15.

Women's

China has been the most successful nation at the Games claiming 4 Golds, 2 Silvers, and 2 Bronze out of 5 games. They had lost out on the Gold to Thailand in the inaugural games in Bangkok in 1998. China went ahead to claim the Gold for the 5th consecutive time at the Asian Games.

Finals:

Wang and Xia of China claim Gold in Women's Beach Volleyball (Image Courtesy: Arizona Daily Star)

Wang and Xia of China lived up to the expectations with a 3 set victory over Japan in 54 mins to take the Gold.

Wang – Xia (World Rank 21) (CHN) defeated Ishii – Murakami (WR 29) (JPN) 17-21, 21-19, 15-10.

Bronze Medal:

The Indonesian pair avenged their group stage loss to Kazakh in straight sets by getting the better of them in straight sets to take the Bronze as they continued to surprise everyone at the games.

Juliana – Utami (INA) defeated Mashkova – Tsimbalova (WR 157) (KAZ) 21-11, 21-10.

Semi-finals:

There were no surprises in the Semi-finals as the expected duo from China and Japan expectedly got through to the Finals.

Ishii – Murakami of Japan took Silver

Japan encountered a stiff first set from the Kazakhs. In the second set, they asserted their class to win the game in 41 mins.

Ishii – Murakami (WR 29) (JPN) won against Mashkova – Tsimbalova (WR 157) (KAZ) 23-21, 21-12.

Wang-Xia took 47 mins to defeat the giant-killing Indonesian pair in three sets.

Wang – Xia (World Rank 21) (CHN) defeated Juliana – Utami (INA) 21-10, 17-21, 15-9.

Quarter-finals:

The Kazakh pair had to win in three sets against an equally matched Chinese opposition, the match lasting 47 mins. Kazakhs ensured they stayed on top in the third game and maintained the lead to win the game.

Mashkova – Tsimbalova (WR 157) (KAZ) won against Wang – Zeng (WR 144) (CHN) 21-16, 17-21, 15-11.

Wang – Xia (World Rank 21) (CHN) defeated Ratnasari – Eka (INA) 21-16, 21-14.

The upset of the tournament was by the hosts Indonesia, as they crushed the Japanese duo of Futami and Hasegawa ranked 34th in the World in straight sets which went till the end. The Indonesian pair of Juliana and Utami won the first set 21-19 and ensured they wrapped up the second set which went up to 29 points. It was crucial for the Indonesians as a third set would have got the Japanese back into the game.

The Indonesian pair of Juliana and Utami surprised everyone by taking the Bronze.

Juliana – Utami (INA) defeat Futami – Hasegawa (WR 34) (JPN) 21-19, 29-27.

Ishii – Murakami (WR 29) (JPN) won against Radarong – Udomchavee (WR 42) (THA) 21-18, 21-7.

Round of 16:

The Pre-quarters got off to an exciting start with the unseeded home team rode on a heavy home support to defeat the fancied Taipei team ranked 120th in the World in straight sets. The Indonesian pair just took 31 mins to demolish their opponents.

Ratnasari – Eka (INA) defeat Yu – Pan (WR 120) (TPE) 21-18, 21-14.

China defeated the higher ranked Hong Kong team comfortably in 31 mins. China was extremely dominative and took the first set 21-9 and continued the dominance in the second set too.

Wang – Zeng (WR 144) (CHN) won against Yuen – Au Yeung (WR 100) (HKG) 21-9, 21-11.

Another Indonesian pair wreaked havoc as they defeated the fancied Taipei pair in a marathon three-setter which lasted 56 mins. Taipei lost out on the opportunity to close the match in the second set which led to their downfall.

Juliana – Utami (INA) defeat Kou – Liu (WR 72) (TPE) 19-21, 22-20, 15-12.