US pair face Chinese favourites

Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor are one step closer to defending their Olympic beach volleyball crown after defeating Brazil in the semi-finals.

The United States pair beat Renata Ribeiro and Talita Rocha 21-12 21-14 to advance through to the gold medal game.

Walsh and May will play China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie, who beat compatriots Xue Chen and Zhang Xi 22-24 29-27 15-8 in the second semi-final.

The US pair will be clear favourites, having not lost a match for a year.

"We've accomplished one goal - to get to the gold medal match - but we're not done yet. We want to get out there and kick butt against the Chinese on their home soil," said Walsh.

The US has now made the podium in all four Olympic tournaments since 1996 - and Brazilian Ribeiro thinks gold is a certainty.

"It is so difficult to win against them like this," she said. "They are perfect. Nobody is going to beat them."

"We'll just focus on the match, we will not be disturbed by the audience"
Misty May-Treanor

Just as she did four years ago, May-Treanor sprinkled some of her mother's ashes on the sand before the semi-final, saving another portion for a similar ceremony before the final.

Tian and Wang will be cheered on by a capacity crowd, but May says that will not affect their performance on Thursday.

"We'll just focus on the match, we will not be disturbed by the audience," she said.

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