China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi were left to nurse keen disappointment after losing out in the women's beach volleyball bronze medal match despite having been only two points from victory.

Bidding to defend the bronze medal they won in Beijing four years ago, Xue and Zhang stormed into an early lead by comfortably winning the first set 21-11 against Brazil's Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca.

China went 19-16 up in the second set, taking them to within two points of the podium, only for the Brazilians to battle back and win the set 21-19 before prevailing 15-12 in the decider at London's Horse Guards Parade.

"In the second set we always had a two-point advantage, but we lost it," said a disappointed Xue.

"The third set was very disappointing, but we have to take it. We lost the second set because we could not come back at the right points.

"It's something that can always happen in beach volleyball. One point can change the entire match. We could not find the right points when it mattered."

Despite the duo finishing one place lower than they did in Beijing, Xue believes she and Zhang have made progress since their bronze-medal success at the 2008 Games.

"You can't judge our play just on these last two games," she said.

"We've been through many difficulties in these last four years but we've got over them together."

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings of the US made Olympic history when they defeated compatriots Jen Kessy and April Ross to claim their third consecutive beach volleyball title.

Watched by a crowd of 15,000, which included Prince Harry and David Beckham, the All-American final saw May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings prevail in straight sets, 21-16, 21-16.

May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings have never been beaten in three Olympic tournaments and have dropped just one set in that time, in a 2-1 pool phase win against Austrian sisters Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger last week.

Sixth seeds Kessy and Ross had eliminated Brazilian favorites Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca in the semifinals, but they had to make do with silver as May-Treanor, 35, brought the curtain down on her career in style.

Beach volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1996 and May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings are the only pair to have successfully defended a women's title.

AFP - Global Times