Beijing, China, August 11, 2008 - Three of the top six-seeded teams in the women’s Beach Volleyball competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games continued their winning ways here Monday at the 12,200-seat Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground, but it took three sets for two of the pairs from Brazil and China to protect their top spots in their groups.

Top-seeded Tian Jia and Wang Jie of China posted an 18-21, 21-19 and 15-13 win in 64 minutes over 13th-seeded Liesbeth Mouha and Liesbet Van Breedam of Belgium to improve their Pool A standing to 2-0. Tian and Wang conclude group competition Wednesday against 12th-seeded Susanne Glesnes and Kathrine Maaseide of Norway.

Third-seeded Ana Paula Connelly and Larissa Franca gained their second Pool C victory during Monday’s evening session with a 19-21, 21-12 and 15-13 win in 57 minutes over 15fh-seeded Alexandra Shiryaeva and Natalya Uryadova of Russia. T

The other top seed advancing to Wednesday play with unbeaten pool mark was fifth-seeded Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs of the United States. The other three top-seeded Beach Volleyball pairs face their second pool matches Tuesday with their final group tests set for Thursday at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground.

Branagh and Youngs gained their second pool E triumph with a 21-17 and 21-16 win in 47 minutes over eighth-seeded Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau of Germany. For Youngs, the oldest women’s player in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at 38, it was the second victory over the Germans in Summer Games competition as she and Holly McPeak defeated Pohl and Rau in an elimination match at the Athens in 2004.

Two of the three pool leaders will be playing teams with identical 2-0 match marks in their pool, including Glesnes and Maaseide. Playing in front of King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway in Monday’s first session, Glesnes and Maaseide earned their second Pool A victory with a 21-11 and 21-17 decision in 35 minutes over Simone Kuhn and Lea Schwer of Switzerland.

Ana Paula and Larissa will be challenged by 10th-seeded Tamsin Barnett and Natalie Cook after the Australians secured their second Chaoyang Park win with a 21-18 and 21-12 decision in 42 minutes over 22nd-seeded Cristine “Saka” Santanna and Andrezza “Rtvelo” Martins of Georgia.

Tied with Pohl and Rau for the second spot in Pool D is Milagros Crespo and Imara Esteves Ribalta after Cubans evened their record with a 21-11 and 21-15 win in 34 minutes over 20th-seeded Rebekka Kadijk and Merel Mooren of the Netherlands. Crespo and Esteves Ribalta conclude pool play against Branagh and Youngs while the winless Dutch challenge the Germans Wednesday.