Aussie women find form in key beach volleyball clash

Tokyo beach volleyball silver medalists Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy have booked a rousing win over Canada as they chase a place in the round of 16.

In a must-win pool match following a win over China and a loss to the United States, the Australian duo delivered against Canadians Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec on Thursday in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Australia must wait on the last result from their pool with China taking on the unbeaten US later in the night session to find out their fate.

China could pull a surprise given they pushed 14th seeds Clancy and del Solar to three sets in their opening pool match.

The two top-ranked teams from each pool and the two best third-ranked teams qualify to the round of 16.

Australia were all business in the first set, wrapping it up in 21-10 in just 17 minutes, with big-serving Clancy causing trouble for their opponents.

She was also lethal at the net with her blocks and attacks.

Canada got off to a better start in the second to lead 5-2 but Indigenous star Clancy was in no mood for a deciding set.

Australia won a four-point stretch to open up to 17-12 lead to take full control of the match.

With five match points Clancy, who had seven aces, went for another that landed in the net.

But Bansley sent the ball wide on the next point for the Aussies to take the set 21-16 for a 2-0 victory.

Australia’s male teams failed to notch a win on Thursday.

Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert were on court early against Germany’s Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler.

After an opening defeat by Poland for the Olympic debutants, the Australians got off to a bright start and took the first set 21-16.

In a tense battle the unbeaten Germans regrouped and leveled in the second 21-18 before wrapping up the victory 19-17 in the third.

Australia’s other men’s combination of Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher were looking to crack a win after losses to Sweden and Italy.

Taking on Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijian of Qatar, the men in green and gold were outclassed 21-14, 21-18 to end their Olympic campaign.

Hodges and Schubert take on France in their final pool match game on Saturday (local time).