German duo Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler made a powerful statement on the opening day of the 2025 Beach Pro Tour’s Hamburg Elite16 by claiming a gritty comeback win in their first match. Playing in front of a home crowd at Am Rothenbaum Stadium, the Olympic silver medalists took down Switzerland’s Adrian Heidrich and Jonathan Jordan in a tense three-set battle (19-21, 21-18, 16-14), punching their ticket to the elimination rounds.
Competing in Pool F, Ehlers and Wickler now brace for a key matchup against Polish Olympians Michal Bryl and Bartosz Łosiak. The outcome will determine a direct spot into the Round of 12, heightening the stakes in one of the most competitive pools of the tournament.
Strong Field Highlights Hamburg’s Prestige
The Hamburg Elite16 has once again drawn beach volleyball’s finest, with impressive performances across all pools. Other key results include:
- Germany’s Paul Henning and Lui Wüst narrowly fell in three sets to Sweden’s Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson in Pool D.
- Brazil’s Evandro Gonçalves and Arthur Lanci pulled off a dramatic reverse-sweep over Chilean brothers Marco and Esteban Grimalt, also in Pool D.
- Defending champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway made short work of Austria’s Alexander Hörst and Moritz Pristauz in Pool A, winning in straight sets.
- Swedish Olympic champions David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, and Dutch duo Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot also recorded convincing victories in their openers.
What's Next in Hamburg
The day began with intense qualifier matches, as eight teams battled their way into the final 24-team main draw. The tournament schedule proceeds as follows:
- Thursday: Final round of pool play
- Friday: Round of 18 begins
- Sunday: Semifinals and medal matches
Regarded as a pivotal event on the international calendar, the Hamburg Elite16 provides athletes with crucial ranking points and momentum in the 2025 season.
For detailed match results and the latest updates, visit the official Volleyball World site.
