Beijing: Gold medal favourites Brazil eased past Japan in the women's volleyball quarter-finals on Tuesday with a comfortable 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 victory.
Brazil will face either USA or World Cup holders Italy in the semi-finals while Cuba, who defeated Serbia 26-24, 25-19, 26-24 in the other morning quarter-final, will face either hosts and reigning champions China or world champions Russia in the last four.
Brazil, who have won the World Grand Prix in four of the last five years, came storming out of the blocks against Japan and breezed through the first set with minimal fuss.
Japan put up more of a fight in the second and briefly held a two-point lead in the third set but once star spikers Sheila Castro, Valeska Menezes and Paula Pequeno found their range, the Brazilians cantered off into the distance for a comfortable victory.
Brazil are hoping to erase the nightmare of four years ago when they blew a 24-19 lead in the fourth set, while leading 2-1 in sets, against Russia to eventually come away without a medal - losing to Cuba for bronze.
However, despite their Grand Prix success, in the intervening years they have again faltered at the final hurdle, losing again to Russia in the World Championships final in 2006 and then to Italy in last year's World Cup final.
But they have been in fine form here and are yet to drop a set. They also beat both Russia and Italy over the last two years, in the pool stages.
Cuba, who topped their pool with a 100-percent record as well, were made to work all the way by a dogged Serbia for whom Jelena Nikolic and Jovana Brakocevic each finished with 15 successful spikes.
But it was in blocking where Cuba made the difference, winning 12 points to Serbia's four on blocks as Nancy Carrillo and Daimi Ramirez presented an impenetrable wall in front of the Serbian spikers.
The evening session sees the glamour time of the last eight between China and Russia while world champions Italy tackle USA.
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