Austrian twin sisters Nadine and Teresa Strauss have reached their first-ever FIVB World Tour semi-final ©FIVB

Austrian twin sisters Nadine and Teresa Strauss have reached their first-ever International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Tour semi-final after progressing through to the penultimate stage of the Malaysia Open at Pantai Cenang in Langkawi today. 

The pair beat home favourites Sook Ting Yew and Dawn Lynn 21-9, 21-11 in the first round before overcoming Switzerland’s Nicole Eiholzer and Dunja Gerson 21-19, 13-21, 15-10 in the second.

It earns them a last-four encounter with Czech Republic’s Martina Bonnerova and Sarka Nakladalova, who defeated Malaysia's Luk Teck Hua and Lee Geok Ting Elaine 21-11, 21-11 and Russia's Yulia Abalakina and Ksenia Dabizha 21-19, 21-17.

Fellow Austrians Cornelia Rimser and Lena Plesiutschnig will play the United States' Emily Stockman and Kimberly Dicello in the other semi-final contest.

Rimser and Plesiutschnig beat Indonesia's Martha Cisilia Rahawarin and Nur Sari 21-14, 21-7 and Germany's Katarina Schillerwein and Cinja Tillmann 21-11, 21-19.

Stockman and Dicello made it through two tough three-set matches, beating Japan's Samaa Miyagawa and Megumi Murakami 21-17, 12-21, 15-9 and Australia's Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Brittany Kendall 21-15, 18-21, 16-14.

Cuba are represented in the men's semi-finals ©FIVB
Cuba are represented in the men's semi-finals ©FIVB

Austria are also represented in the men's semi-finals after Florian Schnetzer and Peter Eglseer defeated South Africa's Jamaine Naidoo and Leo Williams 21-16, 21-18 and compatriots Martin Ermacora and Moritz Bernd Pristauz-Telsnigg 22-20, 10-21, 16-14.

Awaiting them in the last four are Serbia's Lazar Kolaric and Djordje Klasnic, who beat Malaysia's Fong Yaw Cheong and Ang Wei Shen 21-5, 21-6 and German siblings Bennet and David Poniewaz 21-19, 21-18.  

The other semi-final pits Cuba's Nivaldo Díaz and Sergio González against Estonia's Mart Tiisaar and Kusti Nolvak.

Díaz and González eliminated favourites David McKienzie and Andrew Dentler of the US with a 21-16, 21-15 triumph and then went on to beat Spain's Raul Mesa and Christian García 21-18, 21-18.

Tiisaar and Nolvak saw off two Malaysian pairings to earn their semi-final spot, defeating Elangovan Yogeswaran and Mohamad Ammirol Mat Sidek 21-8, 21-7 and Mohd Faiz Putra Abd Razak and Rafi Asruki Nordin 23-21, 21-12.

The men's and women's semi-finals are both scheduled to take place tomorrow, along with the men's medal matches.

The women's medal matches are set to be held on Monday (April 17).