Strong teams including reigning champions Alireza Aghajanighasab/Abbas Pourasgari and Asian winners D’Artagnan Potts/Jack Pearse delivered some standout performances to pull off opening-day wins in the “Rebisco” AVC Beach Tour 2nd Nuvali Open between April 2 to 5 in City of Santa Rosa, Philippines on Wednesday.
On a scorching day with temperatures hitting 35 degrees Celsius at the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land and PNVF, teams from 11 countries started their dream journey in the topflight event, hoping to make their mark on the very first day of the competition.
However, top teams were in the spotlight in the pool play on Wednesday, putting the less-experienced opponents in the shade with their great teamwork skills and determination.
In the women’s event, Chinese fifth seeds Yan Xu/Zhou Mingli, the 2024 Wuhan Qingshan Futures champions, effortlessly beat Lim Jiang Qian/Goh Yu Heng from Malaysia in Pool E 2-0 (21-14, 21-7) in 23 minutes. The Malaysian duo suffered another setback following their straight-set 14-21, 13-21 loss to Thailand’s Tanarattha Udomchavee/Rumpaipruet Numwong.
Japan’s sixth seeds Asami Shiba/Reika Murakami also had no problem in beating Uzbekistan’s Zarnigora Askarova/Nozimakhon Jamolova 2-0 (21-6, 21-12) in Pool F. In their second match of the day against Australians Tara Phillips/Lara Maric, the Uzbeks still saw the going get tough to go down in thrilling three-setter 12-21, 23-21, 11-15 in exhausting 42 minutes.
In Pool B, Australian second seeds Elizabeth Alchin/Georgia Johnson, bronze medallists at the last week’s World Beach Pro Tour Futures Coolangatta to their name, spent 24 minutes in disposing of Filipinas Sunnie Kalani Villapando/Jenny Gaviola 2-0 (21-11, 21-6), while another Australian duo, top seeds Jasmine Fleming/Stefanie Fejes, brushed off Filipinas Alexa Polidario/Lorien Ysobel Gamboa 2-0 (21-16, 21-17).
The Philippines’ 13th seeds Khylem Harl Progella/Sofiah Shanine Pagara saved the day for the host nation as they powered past Malaysians Ee Ling Pua/Yu Jie Goh Rachael 2-0 (21-8, 21-18) in Pool H. The Filipinas will next take on China’s Yu Tong/Jiang Kaiyue, who performed brilliantly to hand the Malaysian team two losses in a row 2-0 (21-13, 21-5) on Wednesday.
The day’s highlight in the men’s competition was in the hard-fought clash between third seeds Pithak Tipjan/Poravid Taovato of Thailand, bronze medallists at the 2023 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championship in Fuzhou, China, and Song Jingyang/Zhang Tai from China as the former produced a comeback 2-1 (16-21, 21-9, 15-10) win against the latter in Pool C.
The remaining matches saw the winners stop their respective rivals in comfortable straight sets, with defending champions and fifth seeds Alireza Aghajanighasab/Abbas Pourasgari from Iran mercilessly crushing Uzbekistan’s Dilshodbek Tolibaev/Azamat Daulbaev 21-8, 21-7 in Pool E and Kiwis’ 7th seeds Bradley Fuller/Ben O’Dea, champions at the recent 2025 GJ Gardner Homes NZ Beach Tour presented by Tip Top, trouncing Hong Kong China’s Lee Cheukhei/Lee Litfung 21-11, 21-11 in Pool G.
Australian top seeds D’Artagnan Potts/Jack Pearse put it past fighting Filipinos Edwin Tolentino/Lerry John Francisco 21-17, 21-18 in Pool A, while another Australian pairing, fourth seeds Paul Burnett/Luke Ryan, followed suit with 21-13, 21-18 win against Filipinos Ronniel Rosales/Alexander Jhon Iraya in Pool D.
Indonesian second seeds Bintang Akbar/Sofyan Rachman Efendi, who won the Indonesia’s first-ever Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour gold last year at the Wuhan Qingshan Futures in China, also cleared their first hurdle with 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) triumph over Chinese Mao Yuan/Liu Yuan in Pool B, with 9th seeds James Buytrago/Rancel Varga, who finished joint 9th at the last year’s inaugural Nuvali Open, making the host country proud following their sensational 21-13, 21-6 win against Uzbekistan’s Mustafoev Golibjon/Nodirjon Alkseev in Pool H.
Pool play continues on Thursday, with only top two teams from each pool advancing to round of 16 in both men’s and women’s events. Technical Delegate Mr Hussain Mohamed from Maldives informed all participating teams that drawing of lots for round of 16 will be conducted at the Technical Delegate’s tent at the competition venue, 20 minutes after the conclusion of the men’s and women’s pool play on Thursday. Coaches, players or team staff are invited to witness the draw.
A strong field of 44 teams, 24 men’s and 20 women’s pairings, from 11 countries consisting of Australia, China, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and Uzbekistan are taking part in the action-packed four-day event, fighting it out for the eventual men’s and women’s titles, cash prizes and AVC’s accumulated points.
WOMEN’S RESULTS
MEN’S RESULTS
POOLS
MEN
WOMEN
MATCH SCHEDULE
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WOMEN
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