Xue/Zhang lost opener of beach volleyball

LONDON - Beijing Olympic bronze medallists Xue Chen/Zhang Xi were defeated on Saturday by Russian duo Anastasia Vasina/Anna Vozakova at the opener of the women's beach volleyball preliminaries of the London Olympic Games.

As the very first match of the beach volleyball event, the 23rd-seeded Russian pair successfully limited their Chinese opponents' offense with firm blocks on its way to the 18-21, 21-14, 16-14 victory at the Horse Guards Parade, a fabulous venue on the Prime Minister's doorstep.

Vasina/Vozakova had nine successful blocks during the one-hour match, mainly came from Vasina, while China had only three. Meanwhile, the second seed Xue/Zhang committed 10 serving mistakes, the Russians had nil.