Brazil beats China to win BV challenger

“好运北京”２００７国际排联女子沙滩排球挑战赛１９日落幕。来自巴西的维埃拉／维万组合在当天的决赛中以２：０战胜中国组合岳园／张文雯夺得冠军，并获得了９０００美元的冠军奖金。岳园／张文雯获得亚军。岳园在赛后坦承，对手确实实力高出一筹。张文雯表示，此次挑战赛起到了很好的锻炼效果，是一次非常好的练兵机会。

Gold medalists Brazil's Angela Vieira (C Front) and Cunha Vivian (2nd L), silver medalists China's Yue Yuan (1st L) and Zhang Wenwen (Back), bronze medalists Thailand's Kamoltip Kulna (2nd R) and Yupa Phokongploy pose for photos on the podium during the awarding ceremony at the 2007 FIVB Beach Volleyball Women's Challenger in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2007. (Xinhua/Sadat)

BEIJING, August 19 (Xinhua) -- Fourth seeds Angela Vieira/Danielle da Conceicao Cunha Vivian from Brazil beat Yue Yuan/Zhang Wenwen from China to win 2007 FIVB women's beach volleyball challenger here on Sunday.

The Brazilian team converted on the second match point in the final, sharing 9,000 US dollars after overwhelming the home-favored pair 21-15, 23-21.

Showing few signs of vulnerability, Vivian and Vieira stormed to a 8-3 lead in the opening set and never allowed the Chinese players to overtake the lead.

But all good things almost came to an end when Yue and Zhang turn the match back to their side by a late charge in the second set leading 20-17.

Vivian, holding her nerve on the serving line to undermine the Chinese setting, helped the team save three set points and even overtake the lead at 21-20.

Letting the thunderous crowd down, Yue and Zhang, who earned 5,500 US dollars as second place prize, admitted that it was still a surprise to win a silver medal, adding that the matches helped them grow a lot.

Earlier Sunday morning, Thai duo Kamoltip Kulna/Yupa Puklongploy overcame the second set slump¹ to beat Swiss Isabelle Eusabeth Klara Forrer/Sarah Schmocker 21-14, 18-21, 15-12 in the third place match.

"Just like yesterday, we were very much looking forward to the match, but we did not play our best," Forrer said.

"There was still a chance to win when we were only a couple of points behind, but we just let it go. Our opponents were dominant² in defense³ and we are not concentrating enough because we were tired."

One of the 42 test events planned for Beijing Olympic venues⁴ to assess preparations for the August 8-24 Games next year, the challenger was played in absence of the world's top players who are competing in Finland Open.

Vocabulary:

beach volleyball challenger：沙滩排球挑战赛

seeds：种子选手