Top-seeded teams off to flying start at #EuroBeachVolleyU20

After Wednesday’s qualification round, the competition at this year’s #EuroBeachVolleyU20 resumed on Thursday with the start of the pool phase in Izmir – with the young players competing on the shores of the Aegean Sea delivering a series of exciting matches despite the heat and temperatures rising up to 35 degrees. The event is for many a debut on the international stage and thus a truly special experience for the stars in the making of the sport.

In the men’s competition, Turkish rookies Batuhan Kuru and Necmi Ayberk Güllük faced their neighbours from Greece  Aristeidis Chandrinos and Triantafyllos Restemis – who had made it through Wednesday’s qualification – and the hosts celebrated a straight-forward 2-0 (21-14, 23-21) victory in Pool A to start their campaign in emphatic style.

In Pool B, Sweden’s Hampus Ekstrand and Jacob Hölting Nilsson defeated Bulgaria’s Georgi Binev and Kristiyan Dimitrov in a tiebreak 2-1 (21-14, 13-21, 15-11). The Swedes are the no. 2 seed and they are hoping to repeat the success of their compatriots Jonatan Hellvig and David Åhman who won gold last year in Brno.

Other high-seeded teams such as Germany’s Maximilian Just/Lui Wüst, Italy’s Theo Hanni and Filippo Fusco, Dutchmen Kyran Versteegen and Siem Ooijman, Switzerland’s Thibaud Colomb and Cyril Kolb – as well as Poland’s Jakub Kurowski and Jacek Rejno all ended the opening day with a win.

As many as 32 matches were on the programme for the women’s competition. Andrea Da Silva Encinas and Patricia Mas of Andorra, one of the smallest countries in Europe, caused a sensation as they beat Turkey’s Naz Akyüz and Sinem Bas in straight sets 2-0 (22-20, 21-17) in Pool A.

The defending champions of #EuroBeachVolleyU20, Latvian duo Anete Namike and Varvara Brailko, who triumphed last year in Brno, completed the first day of the tournament with two wins from their matches against Finland’s Sara Sinisalo/Anniina Muukka and Romania’s Alexia Ioana Bradatan/Ioana Sorina Hododi in Pool C.

The competition will continue on Friday with the second day of pool play.