Day one - done!

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Action from the Germany v Austria match on the Red Bull Beach Arena. Photocredit: Bernard Horst.

Thousands of fans flocked to watch international beach volleyball players do battle on the first day of the Poreč Major on Tuesday.

All courts were full of supporters cheering for their favorite teams as the tournament sprung in to action with men’s and women’s teams all vying for a place in Wednesday’s main draw.

In the evening, the Red Bull Beach Arena opened its doors for three matches on the Center Court, with Austrians Winter/Seidl claiming a spot in the main draw with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Polish pair Prudel/Kujawiak.

That epic game was followed by another, as Germans Bockermann/Flüggen duo withheld a strong challenge from Cubans Nivaldo/Gonzalez. Both teams took part in last year’s Olympics but the Germans made it through to the pool play in the deciding set.

As day one of the Poreč Major came to a close, the main talking point was the first sight of international soccer player Ivan Perišić. The Inter Milan midfielder completed his first training session on the Red Bull Beach Arena after play on the Center Court had come to a close.

Perišić and teammate Niksa Dell’Orco are set to make their first appearance in the competition at 9pm CET on Wednesday night on the Red Bull Beach Arena.

Earlier, at the kick-off press conference, Beach Majors CEO Hannes Jagerhofer spoke of his excitement to have a player of Perišić’s prestige at this year’s tournament.

He said: “Ivan is dedicated and passionate about beach volleyball. It’s an honor for us that he is playing.

“He’s like Speedy Gonzales on the court – he’s one of the fastest defenders I’ve seen!”

With qualification complete, the pool play gets under way from 9am CET on Wednesday with 48 matches taking place across five courts.

Matches on the Red Bull Beach Arena begin at 4pm CET, with floodlit games – a first in the history of the Poreč Major – wrapping up what promises to be a busy and exciting day on the sand.

Remember you can catch all of the action live – and watch everything back on demand – on BeachStream. Click here to sign up and subscribe.

For a full overview of all of Tuesday's results from qualification, click here.

Post-press conference smiles earlier in the day.