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Weekend 4
Japan achieve double
victory over Egypt
 Komaki,
Japan, July 6, 2008: Japan beat Egypt 3-1 to complete a
weekend double in World League Pool D at Park Arena
Komaki on Sunday. Japan improved their win- loss record
to 4-4, while Egypt dropped to 3-5.
In a match that was held up for 40 minutes in the fourth
set due to a power failure, Japan won 26-24, 20-25,
25-20, 25-20 to follow up their 3-2 victory on Saturday.
With the win, Japan improved to 4-4 in the
Intercontinental Round, while Egypt dropped to 3-5 with
four games remaining. Japan went into the game with
three wins in the Intercontinental Round -- all of them
by 3-2 scorelines, including their last two home games
against Poland the previous weekend and Egypt the
previous day.
Egypt had the same 3-4 win-loss record, with two of
those wins coming at home to Japan, both by 3-1.
Japan rested Takahiro Yamamoto and gave a run to his
southpaw apprentice, Kunihiro Shimizu.
The powerful left-hander was quick to display his
talents, and followed up a punishing spike with a
service ace.
In reply, the fearsome Ahmed Salah got to work on the
Egypt right, and when he served two consecutive aces to
move his side ahead 6-5, Japan called a TO.
The home team returned and, with good blocking on Salah
by Matsumoto, led 8-6 at the first TTO.
On the restart, Mohamed Ali and Matsumoto exchanged big
spikes down the middle, and fellow middle blocker Kota
Yamamura struck for 13-9 to send Egypt into a TO.
Japan's progress was held up by solid blocking on
Shimizu, by Abdel Latif and Saleh Fathy, but a serve
error from southpaw Salah gave the home side a two-point
cushion, 16-14, at the second TTO.
A lightning strike by Saleh Fathy reduced the arrears to
one, only for Yu Koshikawa to display all his
athleticism and adventure with a deep spike from the
left.
Shimizu blazed one across court from the right for
19-17, and then battered through the block for 20-17
after a great dig by Daisuke Usami. Egypt called a TO.
At 21-18, Egypt changed setter, Abdalla for starter
Ashraf, and a Moneim fireball service ace closed the gap
to two.
A ferocious spike from the right by Salah pulled Egypt
to within one point, 21-20, and now Japan needed a TO.
On the restart, Yusuke Ishijima pounded Japan forward
with some good work on the left, but a Koshikawa miss up
the left enabled Egypt to draw level 23-23.
Usami flicked one over for set point, 24-23, but that
man Salah struck again for deuce.
When Shimizu gave Japan a second chance with his seventh
point of the set, the home team closed it out 26-24 when
Moneim fired long.
Moneim put the disappointment behind him to give Egypt a
solid start to the second set with some accurate
jump-serves, and Japan called a TO down 6-3.
Salah was in magnificent form, and coach Ueta's job was
to try and work out a blocking style to contain him.
On the restart, Abdel Latif served an ace, and Salah
fizzed one deep to the base line for 8-5 at the first
TTO.
Koshikawa lifted Japan with a blistering ace which
closed the gap to 11-9, but Japan could not get any
closer as the set progressed.
When Shimizu, with little room to work in near the right
post, fired long under pressure after a Salah service
rocket, Egypt were four points clear at the second TTO,
16-12.
Salah resumed with another missile which led to another
Egypt point, and Japan went off for a TO trailing 17-12.
Saleh Fathy and Moneim kept the points ticking over with
some lusty spiking out wide, and the lead was 22-14 when
Shimizu fired wide up the left.
Egypt called a TO, despite leading 22-16, and then a
second at 24-20.
Japan hung on grimly before Saleh Fathy finished a
tumbling rally for 25-20, 1-1.
The Egyptian serving had improved significantly from the
previous day, and they were making fewer mistakes.
In addition, the defence, with libero Wael Alaydy in
sparkling form, was making Japan work much harder for
their points.
Japan, however, still managed to lead 8-6 at the first
TTO.
A Yamamura block on Salah moved Japan forward to 11-9,
and on the next point the Egyptian southpaw spiked wide
up the left line.
The scoreboard moved rapidly as the two evenly matched
teams traded big winners from well-worked moves, one of
which resulted in Yamamura flashing one through for
15-12.
When Koshikawa beat Abdalla's block on the Japan left
for 16-13, the home team had a three-point cushion at
the second TTO.
Shimizu was moving into top gear again now, and the
Egypt block struggled to handle him.
The tide looked to have turned Japan's way when
Koshikawa's serve thudded into the net cord and dropped
over for an ace, beating the desperate dive of Abdel
Latif for 19-14. Egypt called a TO.
Masterful serve reception by libero Katsutoshi Tsumagari
on an Abdalla fireball led to another Japanese point,
but the home team called a TO at 21-17 when they fell
victim to a Moneim serve that also hit the net and
dropped over.
Moneim resumed play with a more orthodox ace from his
jump serve, but Japan had too many points to play with.
Shimizu brought up set point at 24-19, and Salah's wild
serve ended the set 25-20, 2-1 Japan.
Shimizu was winning the battle of the southpaws against
Salah, with 16 spikes to his rival's 14, after three
sets.
At 2-1 Egypt in the fourth set, the stadium suffered a
semi-power failure due to a thunderstorm at 3.35pm. Play
was held up as the teams and officials discussed the
situation.
Five minutes later, the arena was thrown into total
darkness.
Gradually the lights started to come on again, but
nowhere near enough for play to resume. The players left
the court and returned to the dressing room 15 minutes
after play had stopped.
At 4pm, 25 minutes after play had stopped, officials
deemed the light powerful enough to continue, and the
players returned for a 10-minute warm-up.
Play resumed ay 4.15pm, following a 40-minute delay.
When Egypt won the first two points for 4-1, Japan
called a TO.
If normal service had been resumed with the lighting, so
it was on the court as Salah rose and spiked through the
Japan defence.
But when Saleh Fathy fired wide up the left, reducing
his team's advantage to 7-6, Egypt called a TO.
Leading 8-6 at the first TTO, Egypt were hauled in to
9-9 on Ishijima's block on Salah.
Attack errors affected Egypt's play, but Japan could not
capitalise and allowed the Africans to stay on the pace.
Down 15-14, Egypt made two changes, with Gabal and
setter Ashraf coming on as they tried to freshen up
their attack.
Japan led 16-15 at the second TTO, and brought in
Yamamoto for Shimizu on the restart.
With all Egyptian eyes on Yamamoto, Matsumoto eluded the
block for another fluid winner, and a fired-up Ishijima
blazed one home up the left for 18-16.
When Japan moved ahead 19-16 on a Matsumoto attack that
Egypt felt flew wide, the Africans called a TO.
At 20-17, Abdalla and Salah retruned. Abdel Latif
blocked Yamamoto and the gap was down to one, 20-19.
Yamamoto made amends with a deep ace for 22-19, but when
he served long on the next point he gave way to Shimizu.
Koshikawa struck from the back-court for 23-20 and then
brought up four match points after an Ishijima serve had
unsettled Egypt.
On the first of these, Salah was wide and it was all
over, 25-20, 3-1 Japan
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