Russia coach lets frustration show

BEIJING (Reuters) - Russia's women's volleyball coach Italian Giovanni Caprara launched a scathing attack on his team after they lost their opening game of the Beijing Olympics to Italy on Saturday.

The Russians, four-times gold medal winners, lost 3-1 after falling away badly in the third set and one of their players, Ekaterina Gamova, said the early start of 10am local was a factor in the defeat.

"Because the game started so early, it affected our performance to some degree," said the 27-year-old.

Told of the comment from his player, Caprara said: "That is the mentality in Russia that I have been fighting against but I have been fighting on my own," he said.

"How can anyone say it was because we played at ten in the morning? The Italians were also playing at ten.

"I can't win against that mentality - they all think like that. I've fought against it but on my own," he added citing a previous occasion when his team had blamed tiredness for a loss.

Caprara was particularly furious with the way his team lost the third set 25-16.

"We made some banal mistakes, messed up everything and there was little concentration - that was a major factor and of course these mistakes helped Italy. It was really something I didn't expect," he said.

(Editing by Steve Ginsburg)

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