MUMBAI, May 23: India men's challenge in the Bacardi Asian Beach Volleyball Championships suffered a setback with both pairs crashing to defeats at the Chowpatty Beach here today.However, both Rajakumar and Omar Mohsin, who lost 1-15 to New Zealand's Craig Seuseu and Tom Eade, and Mohammed Ghouse and Mohammed Lameeluddin, beaten 4-15 by Thailand's Thaweep Thonkamnerd and Sataporn Sawangreung, will get another chance to make the semi-finals.Today's results draw the Indians into play-offs involving Australia and Japan in the `double elimination' format. The winners will earn the right to meet Kiwis and Thais in the last four stage.The Indian women's pair of Sujatha Santhanam and Rukshana Fathima bid adieu to the tournament. They finished Group B with an all-loss record after losing to Japan 2-15 and to Australia 4-15. The pair from Tamil Nadu had lost their opener 2-15 to Japan yesterday.For A pair playing their first international tournament, Tokuna Ryoko and Kushuhara Chiaki have plenty tocelebrate. The Japanese pair made the women's semi-finals with a clean sweep from Group B.Both are University students and Kushuhara, for one, seems to be an attentive young lady. She took to beach volleyball just a month ago. Tokuna, though, has been around for four years and her wealth of experience counted in no small measure in a difficult match against Thailand B. The Japanese won a gruelling match that went into 40 minutes while beating a combative Thailand B 15-9.The Thai girls, Rattnaporn Ariaisuk and Wiaiwan Ketmanee, follow the Japanese into the semi-finals at second position in the four-team group. The Thai pair pulled off something of a sensation earlier in the day, blanking the Australian pair of Justine Speed and Alison Biggle 15-0. The Aussies' collapse was inexplicable, even allowing for the noted prowess of the Thais in this version of the sport.New Zealand's top pair of Nikki Fake and Angela Stanjovic topped Group A with a 15-11 win over Thailand A's Manatsanan Pangka and KamoltipKulna. The result put the Kiwis at top of the group with the Thais taking the second spot. It also sets the Kiwis against Thailand B and Japan against Thailand A in the semi-finals.Competitive matches at the event have been few and far between. One such contest, however, went the distance. Thailand's Surachai Namboot and Sudajai Naktamna took all of 40 minutes to overcome the game Koreans Ki Hoi Kim and Biung Taik Moon 15-11. But the Thais met their match in Aussies Pat Guilline, a computer engineer by profession and John Cuff, a wine store owner.The two tall spikers from Down Under - beaten by Indians Rajkumar and Mohsin yesterday - struck form today while winning 15-8.RESULTSMEN: Surachai Namboot/ Sudajai Naktamna (Thai) bt Ki Hoi Kim/ Biung Taik Moon (Korea) 15-11; Pat Gulline/ John Cuff (Aus) bt Surachai Namboot/ Sudajai Naktamna (Thai) 15-8; Atumi Yoshihiro/ Mochizuki Tuyoshi (Jap) bt Mohd Al Shaikh/ Muneer al Tooblani (Bahrain) 15-8WOMEN: Tokuna Ryoko/ KusuharaChaiki (Japan) bt Sujatha Santhanam/ Rukhsana Fathima (Ind) 15-1; Rattnapoorn Arlaisuk/ Wilaiwan Ketmanee (Thai) bt Justine Speed/ Alison Biggle (Aus) 15-0; Diong Mee Lee/ Ong Sieb Meei (Mal) bt Sung Wai Wan / Siu Wan Kam (HKG) 15-1; Tokuna Ryoko/ Kushara Chiali bt Rattnaporn Arlaisuk/ Williawan Ketmanee (Thai) 15-9; Justine Speed/ Alison Biggle (Aus) bt Sujatha Santhanam/ Rukhsana Fathima (Ind) 15-4
