PARIS 2024: Clancy moves into semis after three-set victory over undefeated Swiss pair

Jarred Cross Published August 7, 2024 at 12.00pm (AWST)

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Taliqua Clancy (pictured) and teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar moved one step closer to adding gold to their Tokyo silver on Wednesday morning. (Image: AP)

Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng beach volleyballer Taliqua Clancy is one game away from a chance at going one better than her Tokyo silver after progressing through the quarterfinals with teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar on Wednesday morning.

The pair downed undefeated Swiss duo Esmée Böbner and Zoé Vergé-Dépré in three sets 21-19, 16-21, 15-12 in just shy of an hour under lights to set up a huge semifinal on Thursday.

The Australians responded after conceding a 4-1 start in the opening set to level at 14-all and jump ahead for the first time at 16-15, before holding off to tie up a successful start, helped by errors from the Swiss pair.

Clancy worked her way into the game after going long with a handful of early serves.

Esmée and Zoé took the second, setting up a race to 15 in a third set to decide who progresses to the medal matches and a meeting with Latvia or Brazil's top-seeded outfits.

Clancy and Mariafe took an early lead in the deciding set and withstood a Swiss fightback before sealing their semis berth.

Clancy said "I'm just so proud that we stayed really patient and we stayed really true to our game style and what our team is about" after progressing to the semis of the women's beach volleyball on Wednesday. (Image: AP)

A block at the net from Clancy set up the first match point at 14-10 before Esmée spiked long to hand over a spot in the final four.

"I'm just so proud that we stayed really patient and we stayed really true to our game style and what our team is about. I'm just so excited to be in a semifinal again," Clancy said post-match.

"I just think it's the trust in what we have on the court (to hold off the Swiss).

"I think that's really where it comes from. We believe we know that we can get it done and it doesn't have to be perfect for us to still get the job done. I'm just so proud of how Mariafe stuck beside me in that game."

Clancy and Mariafe will meet with the either Latvia's Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Kravčenoka or Brazil's Duda Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos, ranked no.6 and no.1 in the world respectively, for a shot at progressing to the gold medal match.

On the other side of the draw, Switzerland's Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunna moved past USA pair Hughes and Cheng in their quarterfinal, with Spain's Alvarez Mendoza and Moreno Mateeva to play Canada's Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson tonight.

On the track, Wakka Wakka sprinter Calab Law chose not to run his 200m repechage race on Tuesday night to focus on the 4x100m relay starting from 7:35pm (AEST) Thursday.