Venezuela's Urimar Narvaez and Diana Ramirez posted their second Pool F win Wednesday by defeating 22nd-seeded Kayla Arends/Mali Rafini of Aruba 2-0 (21-10, 21-12) in 26 minutes. The sixth-seeded Venezuelans, who defeated a team from Mexico Monday, will win their group out-right Friday in their final pool match against 11th-seeded and winless Musabyimana Peneloppe/Munezero Valentine of Rwanda.
Men’s teams gaining pool leadership after winning a match of unbeatens were 20th-seeded Joffre Jurado/Dany Leon of Ecuador (Pool D), the 21st-seeded Bello twins (Joaquin and Luis) of Great Britain (Pool E) and 32nd-seeded Nathan Broch/Timon Gysin Switzerland (Pool A).
Jurado and Leon posted their second group victory Wednesday with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-16) win in 33 minutes over fourth-seeded Arsenio Guvu/Jorge Monjane of Mozambique. The Ecuador tandem opened Pool D play with a three-set win over a Puerto Rican pair and Jurado and Leon end group action against 29th-seeded William Esther/Keemesh Namah of Mauritius.
Joffre Jurado (center) hits against Mauritius as Ecuador partner Dany Leon (left) followes the action. (Photo: Copyright of Olympic Information Services)
The Bello brothers improved their pool record to 2-0 Wednesday with a 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) win in 30 minutes over fifth-seeded Gonzalo Melgarejo/Jorge Riveros of Paraguay. Like the Ecuador team, the Bellos also won a three-setter in their first group match Monday over a team from Cuba as the English twins conclude Pool E play Friday against 28th-seeded Ganiou Ariyata/Daniel Kpovon of Togo.
Broch and Gysin remained perfect in their group by posting a 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) Pool A win Wednesday in 29 minutes over 16th seeded Phichakon Narathon/Phanupong Thanan of Thailand. The Swiss upset top-seeded Bautista Amieva/Mauro Zelayeta of Argentina in their first Pool A match Sunday and conclude group action Friday against 17th-seeded Patrik Manas/Jiri Sedlak of the Czech Republic.
Thursday’s schedule has 16 pool play matches scheduled with four matches featuring unbeaten men’s team in Pool B (Russia), Pool C (Germany), Pool F (Indonesia) and Pool G (Hungary). In the women’s Thursday competition, three of the four pools have two teams tied atop the group, including Pool D (China and Poland), Pool E (Italy and Puerto Rico) and Pool H (Spain and Thailand). A women’s team from the United States is the sole leader in Pool A.
The elimination rounds begin Saturday for both men and women with the top three teams from each pool advancing to single-elimination bracket play. Both the men's and women's quarter-finals will be played October 15 followed by the semi-finals October 16 and the medal matches October 17.
