Aussie Tokyo medalists ramp up hunt for Paris gold

Australia’s beach volleyball power pair are two wins away from another Olympic gold medal game after a declared defeat of Brazil to begin the knockout stages under the Eiffel Tower.

Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar snapped into top gear on Sunday afternoon in Paris, powering back from an early deficit to win commandingly, 24-22 21-14.

The Tokyo silver medalists absorbed Carolina Solberg Salgado and Barbara Seixas de Freitas’s service pressure then applied plenty of their own in a confidence-boosting round-of-16 win.

The Brazilians led 10-6 and then 12-8 as the Australians struggled to settle in the first set.

But they emerged late in the quarter to level at 17-all, eventually sealing the set on their fourth opportunity when Clancy smothered a Brazilian offensive play that drifted too close to the net.

They’ll next face Swiss pair Esmee Boebner and Zoe Verge-Depre for a spot in the final four.