Vienna, Austria, August 1, 2018 – Over 20,000 beach volleyball fans flocked to Danube Island to be part of the biggest beach volleyball party of Austria on Day 1 of the A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch, while the beach volleyball pros enjoyed themselves on and off the court.
Quick links - Beach volleyball:And the Austrian beach volleyball fans once again did what they know best - building up a breath-taking atmosphere. During the men’s qualification they pushed their local heroes Robin Seidl and Philipp Waller to an unreal comeback in the third set to secure a spot in the Vienna Major Main Draw.
The 1st of August marked a happy birthday for rising beach volleyball star Eduarda ‘Duda’ Santos Lisboa, too. The youngster crowned her 20th birthday with two wins to top the pool. Now Duda is poised to win her first-ever Beach Major Series title together with her partner and 2016 Olympic silver medallist Agatha.
And Brazilian beach volleyball fans had plenty to celebrate on Day 1 of the Vienna Major as Maria Antonelli/Carol joined the exclusive club of pool winners, while living beach volleyball legend and 2008 Olympic champ Ricardo Alex Costa Santos together with teammate Guto Carvalhães secured a berth in the men’s Main Draw.
Italy’s Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth, on the other hand, caused one of the major upsets of the opening day. The wild card team shocked FIVB World Ranking leaders Heather Bansley and Brandy Wilkerson as well as Swiss powerhouse Nina Betschart and Tanja Hüberli to dance into Round 2.
With the men’s Main Draw competition starting and the women teams entering the elimination stage tomorrow, beach volleyball fans can look forward to another day packed with emotions, good weather, and beach volleyball at its finest.
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