Day 2 of the A1 Beach Pro Vienna 2024 got underway Wednesday morning with the men's qualification round. France's Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat scored the first win, beating Austrians Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 15-6).
Play began at 9.30 a.m. at the Red Bull Beach Arena on what is expected to be a long and hot day in the Austrian capital. And it was a close-fought battle between two teams that were evenly paired for much of the match.
Krou/Gauthier-Rat narrowly took the first set before the Austrians, cheered on by an early-bird home crowd, went on the attack. Hammarberg/Berger came from behind to equalize in the second set and set up a third. But the French pair were able to display their nerve and experience against their young opponents and breezily won the match.
"It was a tough battle, they are young and already very talented," Gauthier-Rat said after the match, tipping his hat to 20-year-old Timo Hammarberg and 19-year-old Tim Berger.
The French duo next face Spain's Pablo Herrera Allepuz and Adrián Gavira Collado at 4 pm.
