Qualification complete as favorites advance to Xiamen Open main draw

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Number one seed in qualification Philip Gabathuler and his partner Mirco Gerson made it through to the main stage in Xiamen on Tuesday. Photocredit: Red Bull Contentpool

The Xiamen Open might only be two days old but the top three seeds in the men’s qualification stage of the Xiamen Open all made stress-free progress to reach the next exciting stage of the tournament.

Swiss top seeds in qualification, Philip Gabathuler and Mirco Gerson, marched into the third round, taking just 35 minutes to record a routine 2-0 victory over Armin Dollinger and Lorenz Schümann (GER).

As for second seeds Austrian duo Thomas Kunert and Christoph Dressler, they progressed following the withdrawal of Croatian opponents Ivan Zeljkovic and David Silic. An early injury meant the match lasted just four minutes before time was called. Get well soon guys!

Thankfully there were no injuries on court in third seeds Bo Durant and Cole Soderberg’s game against Turkish pair Hasan Huseyin Mermer and Sefa Urlu. The Australians stormed to a 2-0 victory to book their place in the eagerly-anticipated third round later this week.

But if there’s a shock you’re looking for then look no further than fourth seeds Oeivind Hordvik and Bjarte Usken’s defeat. The Norwegians were soundly beaten in straight sets by 13th seed Serbian pair Stefan Basta and Lazar Kolaric, which just goes to show anything can happen in the wonderful world of Beach Volleyball!

But what about the women?! Don’t worry we’ve not forgotten them, their competition kicks-off on Wednesday so make sure you keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest news and results direct from China.

Click here for the latest up-to-date fixtures and results from the men’s main draw.