Saitama (Japan) (AFP)
The Americans, in steamroller mode on the road to a seventh consecutive Olympic coronation at the Tokyo Games, crushed the Australians (79-55) and will face in the semifinals the Serbs, drop-outs from the Chinese (77-70), Wednesday in Saitama.
With her 23 points (at 8/10, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks) the essential Breanna Stewart was the great architect of the great success of Team USA, which had already created a crippling gap of 14 units (26-12 ) after the first quarter.
The lead continued to grow until the 4th quarter, Britney Griner (15 pts, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) also embodying the all-American power inside, even if the Australians made the bill slightly less salty in the last minutes by taking advantage of the opposing relaxation.
The American Breanna Stewart, against the Australian Ezi Magbegor, in their quarter-final on August 4, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Brian SNYDER POOL / AFP
In the first quarter-final played in the morning, Serbia, who became European champions a month and a half ago, fought hard to get rid of China, who led by nine points (58-49) at the start of the last quarter.
But in the wake of their best player Sonja Vasic (16 pts, 10 rebounds) and Jelena Brooks (18 pts), the Serbs accelerated in the "money-time" to snatch the victory, synonymous with last four, as in Rio in 2016 where they won bronze.
Serbian Sonja Vasic, in the quarter-final against China, August 4, 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Aris MESSINIS AFP
They will have to face the United States, undefeated in official competitions since September 2006.
Two other quarter-finals are on the program on Wednesday: Japan-Belgium (5:20 p.m. local, 10:20 a.m. French) and France-Spain (9 p.m. local, 2 p.m. French.
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