The United States’ Summer Ross and Brooke Sweat beat home favourites Lena Plesiutschnig and Cornelia Rimser today to make a winning start to their campaign at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria’s capital Vienna ©FIVB

The United States’ Summer Ross and Brooke Sweat beat home favourites Lena Plesiutschnig and Cornelia Rimser today to make a winning start to their campaign at the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria’s capital Vienna.

The fifth seeds triumphed 21-15, 21-14 at the Red Bull Beach Arena on Danube Island, putting them top of Pool E.

Also winning their opening match in the section was 29th-seeded Kazakhs Tatyana Mashkova and Bakhtygul Samalikova, who claimed a surprise 21-18, 21-16 victory over 20th-seeded Ukrainians Valentyna Davidova and Ievgeniia Shchypkova.

Another American pairing posting a win today was 16th-seeds Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes as they overcame Canada’s Taylor Pischke and Jamie Lynn Broder 21-15, 21-14 in Pool I.

The other game in the section saw Rwanda’s Charlotte Nzayisenga and Denise Mutatsimpundu forfeit their match against Brazil’s Carolina Solberg Salgado and Maria Antonelli.  

Fourth seeds Evandro Goncalves Oliveira Junior, pictured, and Andre Loyola Stein of Brazil avoided a surprise defeat today ©Getty Images
Fourth seeds Evandro Goncalves Oliveira Junior, pictured, and Andre Loyola Stein of Brazil avoided a surprise defeat today ©Getty Images

In the men’s competition, fourth seeds Evandro Goncalves Oliveira Junior and Andre Loyola Stein of Brazil avoided an upset at the hands of The Netherlands’ Maarten van Garderen and Christiaan Varenhorst by coming from behind to win 20-22, 23-21, 15-7 in Pool D.

Evandro won the 2015 bronze medal with Pedro Solberg in Dutch city The Hague, while Varenhorst and Reinder Nummerdor finished second after losing the gold medal match to Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt of Brazil.

Today’s other winners in Pool D were Mexico’s Lombardo Ontiveros and Juan Virgen thanks to a 26-24, 21-19 victory over Cuba’s Karell Piña Ventoza and Daisel Quesada Sardiñas.

Action in Vienna is due to continue tomorrow.