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RIO DE JANEIRO -- NBA stars came out to cheer for her. The crowd at the Copacabana beach volleyball venue sang Happy Birthday.And Kerri Walsh Jennings earned a spot in the Olympic semifinals.All in all, a pretty good first 40 minutes as a 38-year-old.Its a unique experience, and I loved it, the three-time gold medalist said after she and April Ross beat Australia 21-14, 21-16 to move two wins from her fourth Olympic title.The Americans will play Brazils Agatha and Barbara -- the defending world champions -- on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the gold medal match. The other womens semifinal match will feature Germany and the top-seeded Brazilian team of Larissa and Talita.Both sessions were in front of a packed arena, and NBA stars Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeAndre Jordan and Jimmy Butler showed up for the midnight match that featured their fellow Americans.The U.S. basketball players tried to get a wave going and started a U-S-A! chant when they were shown on the venue video board. They also squabbled with fans behind them -- its hard to see past a 6-foot-11 NBA forward -- but engaged in some playful banter with Australia fans across the sand.Ross said she has enjoyed the way athletes from different sports meet and root for each other.Thats one of the biggest things I love about the Olympics, she said.The Americans victory was the second runaway of the night session; Agatha and Barbara advanced with a 23-21, 21-16 victory over Russia.But the other Brazilian team needed three sets and 70 minutes -- the longest of the Olympics so far -- to get past Switzerland in the afternoon.The 21-23, 27-25, 15-13 victory included 27 ties and 11 lead changes. There were 15 ties and five lead changes alone in the epic 29-minute second set, keeping the fans in the 12,000-seat beachside arena on their feet long after the sun set over the Rio de Janeiro mountains.The crowd was the third player, Larissa said. Only the athletes who have played at an Olympic Games know how it is like. What matters today is that we stayed together, between us and the crowd with us, cheering at every point and still cheering now.Switzerlands Joana Heidrich sat on the bench long afterward, her head covered with a towel while her body shook with sobbing. Talking to reporters with reddened eyes, she said: Now its really bad, but I think in a few hours Ill be really happy with our results and our performances.Teammate Nadine Zumkehr also said it would take her a while to appreciate what the experience.But shes going to try.It was the best game I ever had the chance to play, she said. The audience was crazy. I really want to keep that deep in my heart for the rest of my life, because its unforgettable.Larissa and Talita are each three-time Olympians, but theyre teamed up at the Rio Games for the first time. Larissa won bronze in London -- losing to Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the semifinals -- but Talita has yet to reach an Olympic podium.They kept their chances alive after losing the first set and falling behind 19-17 in the second -- putting the Swiss two points from a spot in the semifinals.Too bad they showed their very best at the right moments, Zumkehr said. They deserved to win, but we gave them a really, really hard win.Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst beat Canada 21-14, 21-14 earlier in their quest for Germanys first Olympic medal in womens beach volleyball. The German men won gold in London.The boys did it last time. I was in the stadium, said Ludwig, who is at the Olympics for the third time, finishing ninth and fifth with Sara Niedrig. If they can do it, I want to work hard for that as well.Canada sent the maximum of four beach volleyball teams to Rio -- one of just four countries to hit the quota. But Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan were their last hope for a medal.A lot of athletes strive to represent their country in the Olympic Games. We got that opportunity, Pavan said. The program doesnt have the history that the American and Brazilian programs have. The fact that we had four teams here speaks loudly, and were only going to get better. Cheap RB From China . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Clearance Ray Ban Sunglasses . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. http://www.salerayban.com/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Discount Ray Ban . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Ray Ban Sale Online . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Helicopters will circle overhead starting at 6 a.m. to spot any floating rubbish. Below, trash-collecting boats receiving GPS coordinates will sweep up debris before each day of Olympic sailing kicks off in Rio de Janeiros Guanabara Bay.World Sailing head Andy Hunt said that holding the Olympics in the polluted bay requires numerous unusual contingency plans to make sure the field of play is fair and safe.He said these include floatting barriers to keep rubbish from entering the bay and hygiene briefings for sailors and staff.ddddddddddddHunt told The Associated Press that Rio is difficult, raising a comparison with the yacht-filled New England harbor of Newport.Said Hunt: We wouldnt be out sailing in Newport with spotting helicopters and eco-boats. ' ' '