Hamburg, Germany  - elite16 - Beach Pro Tour 2022 - News

International beach volleyball has returned to the iconic Rothenbaum stadium this week for the first time in three years. The German city of Hamburg, which staged the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, hosts the fifth Elite16 event in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour's inaugural season from Wednesday to Sunday.

· Watch all main draw matches at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 event in Hamburg live on Volleyball TV.

The opening day of the tournament featured 23 matches in the qualifiers and saw four teams in each gender secure the final spots in the main draw, which begins on Thursday.

Here are some of the images that tell the story so far.

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Japan's Sayaka Mizoe dives during arguably the most exciting match of the day, one that saw partner Miki Ishii and her fall to Spanish pair Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno

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Was Germany's Paul Henning on time or a second too late for this dig?

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Swiss player Esmee Bobner serves in one of the two matches she and partner Zoe Verge-Depre won in Hamburg

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Poland's Maciej Rudol deals with a load of sand as he sets partner Piotr Kantor

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Despite Lezana Placette's defensive efforts, she and French partner Alexia Richard came up short in the qualifier

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Chile's Noe Aravena protects himself from the fun as he plays beach volleyball in style

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Tania Moreno hits against the block of compatriot Paula Soria in the all-Spanish qualifier duel

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Poles Michal Bryl and Bartosz Losiak played as a single unit to progress from the qualifier

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Sarah Schulz celebrates as she and partner Chantal Laboureur were the only German team to advance

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The synchronised celebration of Spanish veterans Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira as they make it to the main draw