2016-07-27 17:30:00 CEST
Men whizz their way into the main draw
Americans on top in quick-fire final qualification round
Doherty/Mayer are one of four American men's teams in the main draw. Photocredit: Mike Ranz
You know we said this morning the games in the men’s competition were super competitive…?
Well, the second round of qualification was anything but as eight teams sped their way into the main draw with some breathtaking beach volleyball.
In fact, consulting our calculators like schoolchildren in math class, we can tell you that the average time of the second qualification matches was a smidgen over 33 minutes!
Yep, those boys didn’t hang around – and it was just as well because shortly after the last match point on Center Court the A1 Major Klagenfurt was plunged into darkness as a heavy storm hung its ugly head over the stadium! It meant play was suspended until 4.30pm due to safety reasons but beach fans still lapped up the fun in the Trade Village.
Before the rain lashed down, three American teams stormed through to the main draw – the Crabb brothers, Allen/Brunner and Doherty/Mayer – who all join fellow Americans Hyden/Bourne in the Pool Play.
The home fans on Center Court also had something to shout about too as Ermacora/Pristauz-Telsnigg beat Polish pair Kosiak/Rudol to become the first men’s team from Austria to qualify for the main draw through qualification at Klagenfurt since 2003!
They will be the fourth team from Austria in the Pool Play, together with Doppler/Horst, Huber/Seidl and Kunert/Dressler.
Stay tuned for details of who will play who in the main draw when that’s reveal at the tonight’s technical meeting!