Olympic champions Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt won their opening pool play match today as they look to defend their title at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria’s capital Vienna ©FIVB

Olympic champions Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt won their opening pool play match today as they look to defend their title at the International Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria’s capital Vienna.

The fifth-seeded Brazilians beat Mozambique’s Aldevino Nguvo and Justino Tovela 21-13, 21-13 in Pool E at the Red Bull Beach Arena on Danube Island.

Cerutti and Oscar Schmidt are aiming to become the first men’s team to win consecutive World Championship gold medals after claiming the 2015 crown in Dutch city The Hague.

Today’s other match in Pool E saw Chilean cousins Marco and Esteban Grimalt defeat Latvia’s Martins Plavins and Haralds Regza 21-14, 21-19.

Germany's Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst made it two wins out of two today ©FIVB
Germany's Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst made it two wins out of two today ©FIVB

In the women’s event, reigning Olympic champions Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst continued their 100 per cent start with a 17-21, 21-15, 15-12 win over fellow Germans Nadja Glenzke and Julia Grossner in Pool D.

The fourth seeds, who begun their campaign yesterday by overcoming Morocco’s Mahassine Siad and Imane Zeroual, are due to conclude group action on Monday (July 31).

Their opponents will be another German pairing, Karla Borger and Margareta Kozuch.

Borger and Kozuch made it two wins out two today with a 21-10, 21-11 victory over Siad and Zeroual.

Action in Vienna is due to continue tomorrow.