Main draw for beach volleyball European championship is decided

First qualification matches of the European Championshipa and the drawing of lots took place in Kazan.

Men

Pool A

The Russian pair Aleksei Arkhipov/Nikolay Chukhnenkov were seeded in the pool A alongside the pair from the Netherlands Aerts/de Groot, Goldstein/Hadar of Israel, and the Dutch athletes Nedergaard/Dahl. The Dutch players gained their berths after beating in a dramatic tussle the team Azerbaijan in qualification.

The Russian team will play their first game against the winners of the qualification tour. The game will take place at 12:20 on August 24.

Pool B

Pavel Shustrov and Alexey Gusev will play in the second group, where they will encounter the strong rivals. These are the French Tournier/Nicole, the Latvians Klavins and Jansons, and the Swedes Åhman/Andersson. Tournier and Nicole will face the Russian players first on Thursday.

Pool C

Timur Ermotik and Denis Shekunov from Russia will play against the Germans Lorentz/Schneider, Polish pair Poznanski/Kruk, and the Belgians Peeters/Van de Velde. First the Russians will play against Lorentz and Schneider.

Pool D

Pérez Barredo/Piris (ESP), Meius/Tammearu M. (EST), Davyskiba/Ratutski (BLR), Savvides/Siapanis (CYP).

Pool E

Mazuras/Makaras (LTU), Bello, J./Bello, F. (ENG), Ringøen/Brekke (NOR), Pedrosa/H. Campos (POR).

Pool F

Bottolo/Di Silvestre A (ITA), Sedlak /Manas (CZE), Vukmirovic/Vujovic (SRB), Hajós/Stréli (HUN).

Pool G

Broch/Gysin (SUI), Reiter T./Leitner L. (AUT), Keskinen/Rahko (FIN), Csiszar/Popa (ROU).

Pool H

Matvieiev/Pavliuk (UKR), Ozdemir/Cebeci (TUR), Udrih/Mozic (SLO), Stipanovic/Delic (CRO).

The men's group stage will last until August 25, the play off starts on August 26.

Women

Pool A

Voronina/Bocharova (RUS), Betschart/Lutz (SUI), Gedikoglu/Gozen (TUR), Tóth-Lakits/Tátrai (HUN)

The winners of the EEVZA Championship Mariia Bocharova and Maria Voronina will play against athletes from Switzerland, Turkey, and Hungary. Their first play against the Hungarians they will play at 9:00, Thursday.

Pool B

Zolnercikova/Svobodova (CZE),  Moreno/Álvarez M (ESP), Stankevich/Hirzhon (BLR), Ludkova/Kukushkina (RUS).

Elizaveta Ludkova and Kristina Kukushkina are in Pool B. They will have a tough match agaisnt Zolnercikova/Svobodova Thursday morning.

Pool C

Schieder/Christ (GER),  Bulc/Zdešar (SLO), Austin/Bentley (ENG), Vieira/Nevot (FRA).

Pool D

Mason/Scampoli (ITA), Lysytsia/Dashevska (UKR), Calado/Beatriz (POR), Mellmølle/Windeleff (DEN)

Pool E

Klinger R./Goger (AUT), Grosberga/Namike (LAT), Leonidou/Dasha (CYP), Aghammamadova/Valiyeva (AZE)

Pool F

Schoon/van Driel, E. (NED), Berntsen/Olimstad (NOR), Sadeiko/Vengerfeldt (EST), Movchan/Andreiuk (RUS)

Olesia Andreiuk and Anna Movchan will play against Schoon/van Driel, E. at 10:40.

Pool G

Klepkou/Matiou (GRE), Andersson/Hellvig (SWE), Pantiru/Grigore (ROU), Ben Shlomo/Maor (ISR)

Pool H

Gierczynska/Jundzill (POL), Grudzinskaite/Kenstaviciute (LTU), Vuorinen/Prihti (FIN), Erteltova/Martakova (SVK)