Japan and defending champions Thailand became the first semi-finalists at the Asian Women's Championship in Tianjin. The two favorites did not drop a set in the quarter-finals on August 27 – the Japanese eliminated Chinese Taipei, and the Thais dealt with South Korea. Thus, on August 29, Japan and Thailand will meet directly for a place in the final.
Thailand – South Korea 3:0 (25:20, 25:18, 25:21)
Defending their Asian title, Thailand became the first team to secure a spot among the top four. The Thais controlled the match and closed the first set at 25:20, then increased the pressure and took a 2:0 lead after 25:18.
South Korea put up more serious resistance in the third set and managed to stay close in the score. In its final part, however, Thailand remained calm and reached 25:21, thus ending the match in three sets.
Pimpichaya Kokram was the top scorer in the match with 19 points – 18 from attack and 1 block. Sasipapron Janthawisut finished with 16 points, and Chatchu-on Moksri added 12. For South Korea, Hyun Su Na scored 12 points – 10 from attack and 2 blocks.
Thailand continues its excellent performance in Tianjin. The team won its preliminary group with three victories – 3:0 against Australia, 3:0 against Indonesia, and 3:1 against Kazakhstan, and after the success over South Korea, they now have four wins from four matches in the championship.
Japan – Chinese Taipei 3:0 (25:14, 25:21, 25:13)
Japan also left no doubt about their superiority and continues without dropping a single set since the start of the championship. The Japanese started strong and took an 11:4 lead in the first set. A powerful serve from Yukiko Wada brought a series of six consecutive points, and the set ended at 25:14.
Chinese Taipei showed their best volleyball in the second set and took a 6:2 lead. Japan, however, gradually increased the pressure through attacks from the ends of the net, and an 8:1 run turned the tide of the set. The Japanese reached 25:21 and were just one set away from the semi-final.
In the third set, the difference was already decisive. Japan took full control and closed the match with 25:13. The superiority of the Japanese was particularly evident in blocking – 11:1, and in aces, they had an advantage of 4:0.
Yukiko Wada was the top scorer with 19 points – 17 from attack and 2 aces. Captain Mayu Ishikawa added 14 – 9 from attack, 3 blocks, and 2 aces.
With the victory, Japan recorded its fourth consecutive 3:0 success in the championship. Before Chinese Taipei, the Japanese defeated Hong Kong 3:0 (25:9, 25:15, 25:12), South Korea 3:0 (33:31, 25:19, 25:20), and Vietnam 3:0 (25:23, 25:17, 25:21) in the group stage.
Japan and Thailand face each other in the semi-final
Thus, the first semi-final pair is already known – Japan vs. Thailand. The match is on August 29 at 5:15 PM local time in Tianjin (12:15 PM Bulgarian time). In addition to a place in the final, victory will also guarantee qualification for the 2027 World Championship.
The remaining two quarter-finals are today, August 28.
Indonesia meets Iran, and host China plays against Vietnam. The winners of these two matches will form the second semi-final pair. The big stake in Tianjin remains the title – the Asian champion receives a direct quota for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, while the top three teams in the final standings secure participation in the 2027 World Championship.