China's Li/Du advance to main draw at Sanya Beach Volleyball Pro Tour

SANYA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Li Wei and Du Hongjun advanced to the men's main draw at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour in Sanya after winning two qualification matches.

Li and Du, who have played together for only two months, were competing in their first official match as a pair. Facing New Zealand's Lucas Heggie and Noah Smith, the teams traded points early before the Chinese duo pulled ahead from 14-12 with a decisive 6-0 run to take the opening set 21-13.

In the second set, Li and Du again created separation with a four-point run and two three-point streaks. Leading 19-13, Du finished the match with a spike and a well-placed shot as the Chinese pair sealed a 21-13 win.

Du said after the match that the pair struggled early as they were unfamiliar with their opponents' style, but secured the victory through determination.

Earlier, fellow Chinese pair Guo Sihong and Song Jinyang lost 2-0 to Germany's Niklas Held and Luis Kubo in the qualification round.

In another match, Norway's Havard Solheim and Oscar Majak Gundersen defeated Mikolaj Kaczmarek and Tomasz Warych of Poland 2-1.

"It was a difficult game. The Polish guys are physical and good players. We didn't quite find our rhythm in the wind, but it was a really fun game," Solheim said.

The tournament features 28 men's teams and 20 women's teams from 15 countries and regions, including 16 men's teams and eight women's teams in qualification.

The event also serves as a test competition for the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya from April 22 to 30.