Main Draw Gets Underway at MEVZA Beach Volley Tour Bibinje

The Main Draw of the MEVZA Beach Volleyball Tour Bibinje started on Thursday after Wednesday’s qualification matches, with 16 women’s and 16 men’s teams beginning their battle for a place in the knockout rounds.

In the women’s competition, all four pools opened with one match each. In Pool A, top-seeded Israelis Gonzalez/Danenberg started strongly with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-13) victory over Klerf/Delcourt of Luxembourg, while Czech duo Novotna/Mrkvickova defeated fellow Israelis Maor/Rosner 2-0 (21-14, 21-12).

Pool B featured two Hungarian teams. Honti-Majoros/Posztos-Szabo lived up to their seeding with a convincing 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) win against Croatia’s Cosic/Bosnar Zelenika, while compatriots Honti-Majoros/Pádár also opened with a straight-sets victory, defeating Hammarberg/Bisanz of Austria 2-0 (21-17, 21-17).

In Pool C, Czech qualifiers Rudicka/Hrubanova opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 (21-14, 18-21, 18-16) victory over Slovenia’s Kotnik/Puckmeister. In the second match of the pool, Slovak qualifiers Reginova/Harmanova defeated Hungary’s Gubik/Kiss-Bertók in straight sets, 2-0 (22-20, 21-18).

Pool D featured a three-set battle in which Israel’s Dave/Lavie came back to beat Austrian qualifiers Pfau/Elsner 2-1 (18-21, 21-19, 15-6). Slovakia’s Nemec Elekova/Bundzelova also started strongly, defeating Croatia’s Sos/Biuk 2-0 (21-17, 21-17).

The men’s tournament also got underway with several strong performances from the seeded teams. In Pool A, Czech favourites Semerad/Stocek defeated Cyprus’ Gurdis/Durunda 2-0 (21-9, 21-12), while Hershko/Lanciano of Israel needed three sets to overcome Hungarian qualifiers Borbely/Bogancs 2-1 (21-18, 19-21, 15-10).

Austria’s Sponer/Petutschnig started confidently in Pool B, beating Croatia’s Skori? Budimir/Misura 2-0 (21-16, 21-16). The longest match of the day came in the same pool, where Slovenian qualifiers Renko/Pokersnik defeated Czech pair Vala/Dostal 2-1 (36-38, 21-18, 18-16) after an extraordinary opening set.

In Pool C, Luxembourg’s Weber/Hilbert recorded a 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) win against Croatia’s Zelenika/Pribanic, while Austria’s Klemen/Holzinger defeated Czech qualifiers Toufar/Pavlusek 2-0 (21-14, 21-16).

Pool D saw Croatian duo Devald/Repek beat Slovak qualifiers Petro/Marcok 2-0 (21-17, 21-12), while Czech qualifiers Kulis/Schinko came back from a set down to defeat Slovenia’s Mugerli/Jevsnik 2-1 (12-21, 21-16, 15-13).

With the opening matches completed, the remaining pool-stage fixtures will continue on Friday before the tournament moves into the knockout round on Saturday.

Friday’s Main Draw Schedule

Women

08:30 – Novotna/Mrkvi?kova (CZE) vs Gonzalez/Danenberg (ISR)
10:00 – Honti-Majoros/Posztós-Szabó (HUN) vs Honti-Majoros/Pádár (HUN)
13:00 – Rudicka/Hrubanová (CZE) vs Reginova/Harmanova (SVK)
08:30 – Nemec Elekova/Bundzelova (SVK) vs Dave/Lavie (ISR)
14:30 – Cosi?/Bosnar Zelenika (CRO) vs Hammarberg/Bisanz (AUT)
16:00 – Kotnik/Puckmeister (SLO) vs Gubik/Kiss-Bertók (HUN)
16:00 – Šoš/Biuk (CRO) vs Pfau/Elsner (AUT)
14:30 – Klerf/Delcourt (LUX) vs Maor/Rosner (ISR)

Men

11:30 – Semerad/Stocek (CZE) vs Hershko/Lanciano (ISR)
11:30 – Sponer/Petutschnig (AUT) vs Renko/Pokeršnik (SLO)
13:00 – Weber/Hilbert (LUX) vs Klemen/Holzinger (AUT)
13:00 – Devald/Repek (CRO) vs Kulis/Schinko (CZE)
17:30 – Gurdis/Durunda (CYP) vs Borbély/Bogáncs (HUN)
17:30 – Škori? Budimir/Mišura (CRO) vs Vala/Dostal (CZE)
19:00 – Zelenika/Pribani? (CRO) vs Toufar/Pavlusek (CZE)
19:00 – Petro/Marcok (SVK) vs Mugerli/Jevšnik (SLO)