Two U.S. beach volleyball women duos advanced Friday to the last eight at the Beijing Olympics.

After a close first set, defending champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh made top eight, beating a Belgian pair 2-0. The two sets went 24-22, 21-10.

In another round of 16 match, American duo Nicole Branagh/Elaine Youngs eliminated Cuban pair Dalixia Fernandez Grasset/Tamara Larrea Peraza 2-0.

The defending champions were given a scare in first set as Belgian duo Liesbet Van Breedam and Liesbeth Mouha led them to reach match point 20-17. The Americans ended the first set 24-22.

In all three preliminary matches at the Beijing Olympics, neither opponent reached 16 points in any set against the American duo.

In the second set, the American duo, who never lost a match since last August, was back on their normal track, ending the set 21-10.

"They are a great team. They had strong serves," said Walsh after the match.

"I'm not satisfied with the result. We could do more," said Mouha, whose team ranks 16th in the world, after the match.

"But I'm happy that we could go so far against them in the first set, " she said. "It's an honor."

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)