We're off! The A1 Beach Pro Vienna 2024 kicked off on Tuesday with the women's qualifying round, and Lithuania's Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte came out fighting to win the first match of the day, beating their German opponents Sandra Ittlinger and Kim Behrens in three sets 2-1 (21-18, 11-21, 15-11).
And what a thrilling match! The two teams entered the Red Bull Beach Arena at 1 p.m. to battle it out under the scorching Vienna sun. The Lithuanians had the first serve and immediately lost it to a German team on fire. Paulikiene/Raupelyte kept pace however to take the lead at 17-16 and eventually win the first set.
Ittlinger/Behrens came back with a vengeance in the second set. A long interruption while their Lithuanian opponents sought medical treatment did nothing to break their concentration and they comfortably won the set to take it into a deciding third.
This was a hard-fought match right up until the end, with several stunning rallies, but it was Paulikiene/Raupelyte who came out the eventual winners. A perfect dress rehearsal for the Summer Olympics in Paris in just over two weeks where the Lithuanian pair are qualified.
