They reached the first-ever mixed doubles final on home soil at the last edition of the World Championships in Budapest in 2019, only to be denied victory in a three-set thriller against Brazil's Natalia Guitler and Marcos Vieira da Silva.

Bányik and Janicsek are number one in International Federation of Teqball (FITEQ) mixed doubles rankings, and cruised through Group A with straight-sets victories against "neutral" Russian Teqball Athletes Aleksandr Obidin and Anna Krykova, Portugal's Alan Marcelo Ferreira Cavalcanti and Rafaela Ferreira Veiga, Lebanon's Mohamad Hafez and Maria Chedid, and Ivan Grom and Anastasiia Terekh of Ukraine.

Speaking to insidethegames, Janicsek said their billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites provides an extra challenge but also a confidence boost.

"It's a big pressure because we are in the first [place] of the mixed doubles world ranking, so it's always a big pressure but it's a sweet pressure because it feels like you are the best," Janicsek said.

With Guitler and Vieira da Silva not defending their crown in Gliwice, their compatriots Lindoso and Vania Moraes da Cruz performed strongly in topping Group B, beating Maja Umićević and Nikola Mitro of Serbia.

Umićević and Mitro have switched allegiance from Montenegro since winning mixed doubles bronze in 2019 and finished second after their four matches.

Both pairs will advance to the knockout stage, and Janicsek believes they reflect the high standard of this year's competition.

"They are both really good pairs, and I think they have the same chances to get in the top four or the semi-finals, so we are waiting for them and we will try to do our best to beat them," she said.

The fourth edition of FITEQ's World Championships is being held at the Gliwice Arena in Poland, and when asked how it compares with previous teqball events, Bányik said the surroundings had left a real impression.

"It is one of the biggest places where I have ever been, so when you're in the most beautiful and the largest, so we are very happy that we are here," he remarked.

"The great Polish Federation always make good competitions, so I think this year will be the next great competition in Poland."

Bányik and Janicsek continue their bid to go one better than they did in 2019 in the mixed doubles quarter-finals on Saturday (December 11), with the top two teams from each group advancing.

The semi-finals and final are scheduled for the last day of competition on Sunday (December 12).