The Swedish team of Jacöb Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson secured their place directly in the Round of 12 at the Hamburg Elite16 event by winning their pool, showcasing impressive form.
Jacöb Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson of Sweden demonstrated their resilience by winning their second consecutive tie-breaker match on Thursday, ultimately securing the top spot in Pool D. This victory concluded the initial phase of the men’s main draw at the prestigious Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite event in Hamburg.
As pool winners, the promising Swedish duo, along with five other top teams, earned a direct bye into Saturday`s Round of 12, gaining a crucial rest day. Meanwhile, the twelve teams that placed second and third in their respective pools will compete in the Round of 18 at the Am Rothenbaum Stadium to secure their spots in the next phase.
Following their 2-1 triumph over Germans Paul Henning and Lui Wüst in their opening Pool D encounter, Hölting Nilsson and Andersson once again faced a tough challenge. On Thursday, they mounted a comeback, overcoming Brazilian Olympians Evandro Gonçalves and Arthur Lanci in a thrilling three-set tie-breaker, with scores of 22-24, 21-19, 15-10.
Despite this being their debut appearance in Hamburg, the young Swedes are currently considered one of the most in-form teams on the Beach Pro Tour. Their recent performance includes reaching the podium in four of their last five tournaments, clinching gold at the Malmö Futures and Baden Challenge, and securing silver at both the Gstaad and Montréal Elite events.
Fellow Swedish athletes and reigning Olympic champions, David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, also secured a direct path to the Round of 12. They topped Pool C after receiving a forfeit victory against the Argentinean siblings Nicolas and Tomas Capogrosso.
In Pool A, Norwegian sensations Anders Mol and Christian Sørum, often dubbed the `Beach Volley Vikings,` faced a significant test from France`s Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Téo Rotar. After a demanding battle, Mol and Sørum ultimately prevailed with a 2-1 victory (21-14, 19-21, 15-13) to retain their top position.
Pool B likewise saw a three-set decider, where Dutch Olympians Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot emerged victorious. They overcame the English twin brothers Javier and Joaquin Bello in a tie-breaker (18-21, 21-17, 15-8), earning them first place and a direct entry into the Round of 12.
Further excitement unfolded in Pool E, where Cuban Olympians Jorge Alayo and Noslen Díaz delivered an upset, defeating reigning world champions Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner of Czechia in straight sets (21-19, 27-25) to secure their Round of 12 berth. In Pool F, local favorites Clemens Wickler and Nils Ehlers orchestrated a remarkable comeback, triumphing 3-1 (13-21, 21-18, 15-9) against Polish Olympians Michal Bryl and Bartosz Łosiak to claim their pool`s top spot.
Looking ahead to Friday`s Round of 18 matches in Hamburg, the schedule includes several compelling matchups: the Capogrosso brothers will face Germany`s Jonas and Benedikt Sagstetter; the Bello twins will challenge Latvians Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots; Perušič and Schweiner are set to play against Italians Gianluca Dal Corso and Marco Viscovich; Rotar and Gauthier-Rat will meet Henning and Wüst; Evandro and Arthur will compete against Swiss duo Adrian Heidrich and Jonathan Jordan; and Bryl and Łosiak will go head-to-head with Austrians Christoph Dressler and Philipp Waller.
A full match schedule and results for the Beach Pro Tour Hamburg Elite event are available for review.
The tournament will then progress with the Round of 12 and quarterfinals on Saturday, culminating in the semifinals and medal matches on Sunday.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick