Canada's Bansley, Wilkerson get 1st beach volleyball win in Tokyo
Duo improves to 1-1 after sweeping Argentina in 2 sets on Tuesday
Canadians Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson bounced back in the Olympic beach volleyball tournament to clinch their first win in Tokyo.
Bansley and Wilkerson defeated Argentine pair Ana Gallay and Fernanda in straight sets (22-20, 21-12) on Tuesday and are now 1-1.
Unshaken from dropping their tournament opener in three sets to China's Wang Fan and Xia Xinyi, Canada showed resiliency on the sand.
The Canadians' serving gave them some trouble, accumulating 15 serving errors throughout both sets, but also six aces.
In the first set, Bansley and Wilkerson had a six-point lead at one point, but the Argentines managed to take the lead at the 19-18 mark. A block from Wilkerson clinched the set.
The Canadians also came out ahead in the second, with Wilkerson securing the set and match win with a strong spike.
Bansley and Wilkerson will face Brazilians Agatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda 'Duda' Santos Lisboa on Thursday. Bednarczuk has Olympic experience having won a silver medal at Rio 2016 with her previous partner, Barbara Seixas de Freitas.
Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman downed Spainish pair Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo McMillan in straight sets earlier in the day.
China's Xue Chen and Wang Xinxin beat Sanne Keizer and Madelein Meppelink of the Netherlands 2-1.
WATCH | Bansley, Wilkerson get straight-set win in Tokyo:
On Monday, fellow Canadians and reigning world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes won their second straight matchup in the tournament.
Pavan and Humana-Paredes will next play Swiss team Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Heidrich at Shiokaze Park on Thursday.
