World Tour returns to Madrid with women’s-only 1-Star event

The FIVB World Tour has returned to Madrid after a long break with a women’s-only 1-Star tournament. The competition started on Thursday with the qualification round to define the four teams taking the last tickets available to join the Main Draw.

Home favourites Nazaret Florián and Nuria Bouza, Italy’s Erika Ditta/Sara Leoni, Szandra Szombathelyi/Lilla Villam of Hungary and Miroslava Dunarova/Daniela Resova of the Czech Republic have all secured a spot in the Main Draw due to begin on Friday at the iconic Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro.

Spanish Beach Volleyball fans and especially those living in Madrid have waited a long time to see the return of the World Tour to Spain. The Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro played host earlier this year one of three events scheduled for the second stage of the CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.  

Spanish vice-champions Nazaret Florian and Nuria Bouza surprised the Polish duo Malgorzata Ciezkowska/Patrycja Jundzill (22-20, 21-16) to get the first ticket to the Main Draw. Ditta and Leoni, the Italian duo, needed two sets to get past Czechs Magdalena Dostalova and Tereza Francova (21-14, 21-5). Hungary’s Szandra Szombathelyi and Lilla Villam reached the Main Draw after they beat the English pair Anaya Evans/Isabelle Tucker (21-13, 21-15), and for the last spot, another Czech couple, Miroslava Dunarova/Daniela Resova claimed the big prize by defeating Ukrainians Maryna Hladun and Kateryna Udovenko 21-19, 21-18.