Beach Pro Tour Futures Bridlington day one round-up - eight main draw teams decided on historic first day

The four-day event – supported by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the first at World Tour level to be staged in the UK – kicked off with two rounds of qualifying, as 16 women's teams and 15 men's teams battled to clinch a qualifier spot. 

Women's competition 

As the sun that had blessed the final day of the NEVZA Beach England event on Tuesday went missing, the day played out in mirky and much cooler conditions. 

But it did not affect Melina Mol – who had won Tuesday's female NEVZA event in tandem with Julia Thelle – as she teamed up with a new partner in Cathrine Hjeltnes to breeze through qualifying. 

First the Norwegian pair accounted for Eliska Trnena and Karolina Michajlikova of Czechia in the first match on Centre Court, clinching a 21-13, 21-19 triumph. 

Then, in Round 2, they were always in control against the experienced Scottish duo of Lynne Beattie – who played for the GB indoor team during the London 2012 Olympics – and Mel Coutts, coming out on top 21-17, 21-12. 

There was more success for Scandinavia in the shape of Finland's Sara Sinisalo and 16-year-old Maisa Kyröläinen. 

The pair had already collected a bronze medal from the NEVZA Beach England and continued their liking for the Bridlington sand with two more impressive victories. 

A straightforward win over Latvia's Keira Lukas and Sandra Lepp (21-11, 21-16) was followed by a titanic scrap with Kaeli Crews and Erica Brok of the USA that saw the teams exchange sets before the Finns took command in the decider (18-21, 21-19, 15-9).

But it was not to be a NEVZA countries hat-trick as another North Americabs Ofure Odigie and Emma Cudmore, shut the door on former NEVZA Youth Beach champions Tale Fosseli and Solveig Sunde (21-15, 21-16). 

The Canadians – who visited a local school who had pledged to come down to support them if they made the draw – had earlier fought hard to overcome Dutch pair Serena van der Made and Kirsten Bröring in three close sets (21-19, 16-21, 15-13). 

Japan's Miharu Kashihara and Aimi Obha perhaps had further than anyone to travel to compete on the East Yorkshire Coast, but certainly made the trip worthwhilein being the other women's pair to make the main draw. 

They showed great variety in their shot selection to run away with their Round 2 match against Poland's Julia Czurylo and Malgorzata Vlk (21-12, 21-5). 

That was after an equally clinical display against Slovakia's Zuzana Reginova and Kristina Harmanova (21-12, 21-18), which underlined they could be a team to keep an eye on when the pool play gets underway. 

Men's competition 

Another team to medal at NEVZA Beach England earlier this week was the first men's team to qualify for the main draw. 

Norway's Marius Pande and Magnus Helgerud took bronze on Tuesday and were again on point to beat Frenchmen Enzo Tomietto and Charly Samier in straight sets, with the second a lot tighter than the first (21-12, 21-19). 

It may have been a miserable Wednesday evening for Scotland at the FIFA World Cup as they were defeated 3-0 by Brazil, but there was reason for cheer a few hours later when Seain Cook and Euan Fraser turned on the style to push through qualifying without dropping a set. 

First they secured victory in a Home Nations shoot-out with Welsh duo Matthew Pollock and Conor Robins (21-17, 21-17) and then they proved too strong for young Finnish brothers Arttur and Valtter Pennanen, who had been given a first round bye as number one seeds (21-14, 21-18). 

Local Yorkshire duo Maks Makowski and Josh Cosgrove have grown up playing on the sands of Bridlington for the Skyball Beach Volleyball Club co-founded by the former's father, Pete. 

But while their intimate knowledge of the conditions helped them ease through the first match – an all-England affair against Tomo Iwata and Tom Lycett (23-21, 21-18) – they could not quite get the job done against Switzerland in Round 2. 

Tim Amrein and Nathan Broch no doubt felt the love for their opponents, but kept their cool nonetheless to come through a highly-competitive first set and then ease away in the second (21-19, 21-12), aided by some strong blocking at the net.

The last match of the day to finish was much closer and - as the sun finally made an appearance - saw Belgium advance in the final spot available after a tense three-setter. 

Casper Willems and Arne Darras made a bright start to the match, taking the first set 21-18, but their Israeli opponents, Yanay Goldshmid Fisher and David Lanciano, showed their resilience to pull out the second set 21-17.

It looked as if that momentum would pull Fisher and Lanciano through to victory, only for the Belgians to save three match point and eventually triumph 17-15, as a tight line call went in their favour for them to seal the final point.

They had earlier overcome Latvia's Donavans Miloss and Bruno Bulgačs 21-18, 21-17 to secure their Round 2 spot.

Tomorrow (Friday) sees the Main Draw pool matches contested, with the knock-out stages to begin on Saturday.

Images by Simon Clarrke, Rosie Williams and John Westgarth

Don't forget you can come down to Belvedere Beach and watch the main draw action for FREE - no ticket required.

If you can't make it, you can also watch the action live on the Volleyball England YouTube Channel.