Home favourites Nicole Laird and Phoebe Bell reached the penultimate round of the women’s event after beating Japanese pairings Takemi Nishibori and Marie Wada - 21-14, 21-12 - and Yukako Suzuki and Miki Ishii - 21-16, 21-14. 

On the men’s side, Australia’s Chris McHugh and Damien Schumann overcame compatriots Tim Dickson and Garang Anyang 21-13, 21-9 before coming through a tough quarter-final against New Zealand’s Rene Kapa and Morgan Seymour 21-16, 16-21, 15-10.

Laird and Bell will face Kim Behrens and Anni Schumacher in tomorrow’s semi-finals after the Germans registered a 18-21, 21-15, 16-14 quarter-final win over Australia’s Britt Kendall and Mariafe Artacho del Solar. 

The other women’s last-four encounter pits Canada’s Julie Gordon and Camille Saxton against Germany’s Leonie Kortzinger and Sandra Seyfferth.

Gordon and Saxton beat Sweden’s Fanny Lindström and Sigrid Simonsson 21-16, 21-12 in the quarter-finals, while Kortzinger and Seyfferth defeated Australia’s Jessyka Ngauamo and Becchara Palmer 18-21, 21-19, 15-13.

Awaiting McHugh and Schumann in the men’s semi-finals are the United States’ Adam Roberts and Martin Lorenz, who comfortably won their quarter-final against Japan’s Katsuhiro Shiratori and Takumi Takahashi 21-12, 21-16.

Australia’s Cole Durant and Zachery Schubert beat Austria’s Felix Friedl and Lucas Skrabal 21-10, 28-26 to set up a clash with New Zealand brothers Ben and Sam O’Dea, 21-19, 21-9 victors at the expense of compatriots Mike Watson and Tom Hartles.

The finals and third-place play-offs are also scheduled to take place tomorrow.

Australia is hosting its first FIVB Beach World Tour for nine years.