Vienna, Austria, July 30, 2017 - Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst continue to thrill their family, friends and countrymen as the top Austrian team won their second match at the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships presented by A1 here Sunday by defeating a team from Canada before more than 10,000 spectators at the Red Bull Beach Arena.
Seeded 12th in the 48-team men’s competition, Doppler and Horst posted a 2-0 (21-12, 21-15) Pool L win in 38 minutes Sunday over 37th-seeded Aaron Nusbaum/Ryan Vandenburg of Canada. On the opening day of the event Friday, the Austrians defeated Rahman Raoufi/Bahman Salemiinjehboroun of Iran 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) in 38 minutes.
With the victory, Doppler and Horst are guaranteed a spot in the 32-team elimination bracket and can win Pool L by defeating 13th-seeded Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk of Canada on Tuesday. The Canadians secured their second group win Sunday with a 2-1 (20-22, 21-16, 15-13) victory in 48 minutes over Raoufi/Salemiinjehboroun.
Tuesday's match will be the ninth FIVB World Tour meeting between the two teams with the Austrians leading the series 5-3. The two pairs that competed in the Rio Olympic Games have not played since July 3, 2016 when Doppler and Horst posted a three-set semifinal win at the Porec Major in Croatia.
The $1-million FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships presented by A1 will feature 28 pool play matches on three courts Monday at the state-of-the art venue at Donauinsel with the focal point of the action and entertainment being held with a picturesque view of the Danube River and the lively atmosphere of the Beach Village.
A total of 216-matches will be played over a 10-day period at the world championships where the winning men’s and women’s teams will each split the $60,000 first-place prizes. The women’s medal matches will be played August 5 and the men’s August 6. With 96 teams from 40 countries in the competition, pool play highlights the first six days of play with the featured court being the 10,000-seat Red Bull Beach Arena.
