The third edition of the international beach volleyball tournament St. Vlas Beach Pro Tour officially began with the participation of two Bulgarian pairs in the qualifiers on the Venid Beach courts. The competition gathers athletes from various parts of the world who will compete for honors in the coming days in one of the most prestigious tournaments on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
Svilena Stoyanova and Elitsa Hristova were the first to appear on the sand. The Bulgarian women faced the sisters Chiara and Carmen Majoros from Hungary but could not oppose their rivals and were eliminated after a 0:2 (9:21, 12:21) defeat.
Alexander Tsanev and Boris Georgiev recorded a better performance. Our national team players confidently started the qualifiers and in the first round won 2:0 (21:18, 22:20) against the Israelis Hershko and Lanciano, thereby advancing in the battle for a place in the main draw.
In the decisive qualification match, the Bulgarian duo faced representatives from Finland. Tsanev and Georgiev won the first set and were close to qualifying, but the match was interrupted due to a strong thunderstorm. After nearly a two-hour forced break, the match resumed, and the Finns managed to turn the match around. Thus, the Bulgarians lost 1:2 (21:18, 17:21, 10:15) and concluded their participation in the tournament.
From tomorrow, attention shifts to the main draw, whose matches begin early in the day on the courts near 'Marina Dinevi' yacht port. Bulgaria will be seriously represented in both men's and women's categories.
In the men's competition, our country will have four pairs in the main draw, while in the women's category, four Bulgarian duos will participate. Among the main contenders for a strong performance are Dimitar Kalchev and Dimitar Mehandzhiyski – the highest-ranked Bulgarian pair in the world rankings, as well as brothers Georgi and Valentin Bratoev, who received a special invitation to participate.
After an emotion-filled first day, the tournament promises more spectacular clashes, dramatic comebacks, and a significant Bulgarian presence on the sand in St. Vlas.