Xiamen qualifiers battle the elements to reach the pool stage

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Stefanie Schwaiger and Barbara Hansel (AUT) – here at Poreč Major 2015 - came through an epic three-set match to seal a spot in the pool stage at the Xiamen Open.

Grrrr-eight news in China! Eight of the top 10 seeds in the women’s qualification for Xiamen Open made it through to the main draw which kicks-off on Thursday.

Among the highly-charged eight matches in round two of qualification were two three-set tussles which needed to be decided by a third and final set.

In the most dramatic game of qualification, beach volleyball fans were treated to an epic 49-minute battle that saw Russian pair Anastasia Barsuk and Alexandra Moiseeva come from one set down to beat Austria’s Katharina Schützenhöfer and Lena Plesiutschnig 2-1.

The Austrian’s took a thrilling first set 22-20 before the Russians levelled the set score 21-15 in the second. In the final set both teams went for glory as they chased a place in the main draw but it was Barsuk and Moiseeva who edged the contest 15-8 to triumph and advance to the next stage.

It wasn’t all bad news for the Austrians, though! In the second ding-dong battle which went to three sets, Stefanie Schwaiger and Barbara Hansel overcame a first set deficit to beat Serbians Milena Matic and Marija Milosevic to book their spot in the pool stages.

The Germans are well-known for their efficiency and top seeds Victoria Bieneck and Julia Groβner proved that once more by making light work of Australian sisters Justine and Jordan Mowen, cruising to a straight sets victory in a ridiculously quick time of just 26 minutes. You don’t hang around do you, girls?!

Bieneck and Groβner were off court by the time the wild weather of south west China hit the tournament but other teams were not so lucky!

American fourth seeds Lane Carico and Summer Ross had a whale of a time in the downpours in their 2-0 win over France’s Alice Chamereau and Ophelie Lusson.

A drenched Lane Carico told fivb.com: “There was so much fun out there. I was enjoying it in the rain and finally we won. This is our fourth time in Xiamen, we know it's always very windy here but it’s our first time to play in the rain. “But we love it and hopefully it can rain more and more. We would like to play in the rain.”

The main draw pools are due to be announced later today so keep your eyes peeled for details of who faces who in the exciting next stage!