De Groot/Luini send last Austrian duo home

04.08.2023 - Vienna

Austria's top duo, Julian Hörl and Alexander Horst, stand as the last red-white-red hope in the competition, determined to conquer the Netherlands. But their opponents are no strangers - Yorick de Groot and Leon Luini, the Dutch power players, come armed with plenty of experience.

The first set starts well from the Austrian point of view. Hörl/Horst present themselves extraordinarily strong. They fight point by point with the support of the fans of the packed Red Bull Beach Arena. The Austrians manage to take the lead and extend it to 5 points. But then comes the turnaround. Luini/de Groot secure one point after the other. They show great performance. They manage to equalize, then the lead changes. Finally, the Dutch team wins the first set by a narrow margin of 21:19.

Also in the second set the Dutch duo Luini/de Groot presents itself strong. The Austrians fight hard, but to the disappointment of the home fans, they cannot keep up with the form of their opponents. Hörl/Horst play unclean in the decisive moments and lose this set as well. Luini/de Groot win their second set 21:13. While it goes on to the Round of 16 for the Dutch, the last Austrian team is eliminated from the competition.