Poland’s Piotr Kantor and Mariusz Prudel in action at the International Volleyball Federation Beach World Tour in Warsaw ©FIVB

It was a case of new partner, same story when reigning champion Piotr Kantor made a winning start at the International Volleyball Federaton (FIVB) Beach World Tour in Warsaw, Poland.

Kantor won the 2018 title alongside Bartosz Losiak but with the latter injured, he is partnered for this year's tournament by Mariusz Prudel.

The duo secured their passage into at least the first round of single elimination at the four-star event with an emphatic 21-13, 21-13 win over seventh seeds Pablo Herrera Allepuz and Adrian Gavira Collado of Spain.

Tomorrow they will face Chilean cousins Marco and Esteban Grimalt in the battle to top Pool H.

There was more Polish joy for top-seeded pairing Grzegorz Fijalek and Michal Bryl after they came through a testing Pool A match with Austrians Thoma Kunert and Daniel Muellner.

Kunert and Muellner took the first set but the Polish pair, willed on by a buoyant home crowd, fought back for a 17-21, 21-16, 15-13 win.

USA’s Emily Stockman and Kelley Larsen extended their winning streak to four matches ©FIVB
USA’s Emily Stockman and Kelley Larsen extended their winning streak to four matches ©FIVB 

There was to be no Polish fairytale in Warsaw, though, as 28th seeds Maciej Rudol and Jakub Szalankiewicz were unable to cause an upset against fifth-seeded Russian pair Konstantin Semenov and Ilya Leshukov. 

The Russians cruised to a 21-14, 21-18 victory against the tournament wild cards.

In the women's draw, the US’s Emily Stockman and Kelley Larsen extended to four their winning streak after scoring two pool victories to advance to the second round of single elimination.

The American pair had already won their country quota match on Tuesday and another qualification tie yesterday.

They followed up on the banks of the River Wisla with a 21-18, 21-17  victory over Joy Stubbe and Marleen Ramond-van Iersel of the Netherlands before seeing off Canadians Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes 21-15, 22-20.

American ninth-seeded pair Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes disappointed the home crowd with a hard-fought 24-22, 15-21, 15-11 win against Poland's Kinga Wojtasik and Katarzyna Kociolek in Pool H.

Earlier in the day they had also disposed of China’s Chen Xue and Xinxin Wang in a 21-13, 21-16 triumph.

Canadian fourth seeds and world ranking leaders Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Brazilians Maria Antonelli and Carolina Solberg as they were sunk 13-21, 18-21.

Third-seeded Alexandra Klineman and April Ross cruised to two speedy wins in Pool C as they defeated French pair Alexandra Jupiter and Aliine Chamereau 21-14, 21-14 before recording a 21-15, 21-12 triumph against Nina Betschart and Tanja Hueberli.