24-Nov, start time: 18:00, end time: 20:07 - Attendance: 9,000

JPN	3	25	25	22	21	10	103
TUN	2	23	22	25	25	15	110

Match Description:

Brave Tunisia Down Japan For First World Cup Win
Tunisia secured their first victory of the 2003 World Cup when they fought back from two sets down to defeat Japan in a five-set thriller at Site A in Fukuoka. Tunisia dragged themselves off the bottom of the standings with a deserved 23-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-10 victory and resigned Japan to their fourth defeat in seven games.

Japan had more urgency about their play at the start of the first set, with captain Kato Yoichi sharing the attacking duties with Yamamoto Takahiro. When a Kato spike moved them 19-14 ahead they looked to have the set wrapped up. But MIP Noureddine Hfaiedh and Khaled Belaid dragged Tunisia back to 21-22 only for Japan to hang on and see out the set with another Kato spike.

There was little between the sides in a scrappy second. Tunisia had the better start but Japan fought back to 14-14. The turning point came when Japan led 18-17 and secured three consecutive points from a Kato spike and a block and spike from Akira Koshiya to build a 24-20 lead before winning the set with a net infringement.

But Japan lost their momentum in third, and Tunisia improved. Hosni Karamosly found his attacking range and the North Africans put away their chances as they pulled a set back. Hfaiedh was especially affective towards the end of the set.

The initiative was with Tunisia as they took a 13-8 lead in the fourth. Japan were looking ragged and errors were creeping into their game. Japan coach Mikiyasu Tanaka brought on substitute Hosokawa Nobuyoshi in an attempt to change their fortunes. He pulled a couple of points back but was unable to save the set.

Japan looked to have regained their composure in the tie-break, but from 7-8 up they conceded five straight points before losing the match on a Karamosly ace.

Comments:

GIACOBBE Antonio (TUN Head Coach)
" It was a very important victory for us, because after losing many matches, finally we were able to notch our first victory today. After today's first victory, I believe we will be able to play well with more confidence in the forthcoming matches against formidable opponents. As an Italian proverb goes, 'The winner only enjoys victory, while the loser explains the reasons behind the loss,' so today I'd like to explain nothing but just enjoy our victory."

GUIDARA Ghazi (TUN Captain)
" We were very lucky today, because in 1999 we lost the match against Japan. We played very well and exerted maximum effort today. We owe today's victory to all players and staff. I'm sure this victory has opened a door for us."

TANAKA Mikiyasu (JPN Head Coach)
" In the first and second sets, input of Kobayashi and Koshiya worked well and they played quite well. After the third set, our attacking was cut off by their solid blocking. In addition, their serves got better, while ours got worse. Unable to gain the upper hand on our opponents, we let it slide afterwards."

KATO Yoichi (JPN Captain)
" In the first and second sets, we were able to play our own style of volleyball, even though the game went back and forth. After the third set onward, however, they fought back, making most of the data they collected and we drifted into a miserable finish"

Official Result:

Match statistics (P-2) - PDF