Norway’s European champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum are enjoying life at the FIVB Itapema Open in Brazil ©FIVB

Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum enjoyed a happy return to the Itapema Open by winning their opening two matches of this year's International Volleyball Federation Beach World Tour event.

Mol and Sørum, whose first international medal as a pair came at the corresponding tournament last year, enjoyed their opening day earning straight-set victories over France’s Edouard Rowlandson and Olivier Barthelemy and Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb of the United States.

The Norwegian duo defeated the French pair 21-17, 21-16 and the American players by 21-17, 21-14 to reach the last 16.

Reid Priddy and Theo Brunner of the United States, who first played together in January, won Pool G with a 29-27, 14-21, 15-11 victory over 2017 World Championships silver medallists Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst of Austria.

They followed the marathon win with a  21-16, 21-19 triumph over Netherlands’ Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde.

Canada’s Nicole and Megan McNamara, making their first appearance in a main draw at an FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event, topped Pool H with two impressive wins.

Main draw action began in Rio de Janeiro ©FIVB
Main draw action began in Rio de Janeiro ©FIVB

The 21-year-old Canadians first beat reigning European champions Madelein Meppelink and Sanne Keizer of The Netherlands 21-14, 13-21, 15-13.

In the second match, the duo who claimed a silver medal at the 2014 Youth Olympics and bronze at the under-19 and under-21 World Championships in 2014 and 2016 came out on top in a close contest with the new German team of Chantal Laboureur and Sandra Ittlinger with a 21-18, 24-22 scoreline.

Brazilians Rebecca Cavalcanti and Ana Patricia Silva took advantage of home court advantage to continue their impressive World Tour form.

They are now unbeaten in 16 matches after they won 21-17, 21-13 against the Netherlands’ Laura Bloem and Jolien Sinnema and then beat Switzerland’s Nina Betschart and Tanja Huberli 21-18, 24-26, 15-11.