But for world champions Bosnia and Herzegovina, beaten 3-2 by Iran yesterday, there was a more unexpected defeat today as they went down 3-1 at the hands of Russia, ranked ninth in the world.

The third match at the Sadra Sports Hall saw Germany earn a 3-0 victory over the United States.

This is the second edition of the international competition, which only included women’s teams last year and saw Russia taking the gold medal in Hangzhou in China.

Competition has started in a round-robin format, with all six teams facing each other once and the overall best two qualifying for the final on Tuesday (April 24).

The third and fourth-placed teams are due to play for the bronze medal.

In tomorrow’s round, Iran are due to meet Germany, Russia play the US and Bosnia and Herzegovina play Ukraine.