Norway’s Morten Kvamsdal and Christian Sandlie Sorum won both of their matches on the opening day of the FIVB Qatar Open ©FIVB

Norway’s Morten Kvamsdal and Christian Sandlie Sorum continued their impressive development as a team by winning both of their matches on the opening day of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Qatar Open at Al Gharafa Sports Club in Doha.

The pair began with a 21-19, 12-21, 15-6 win over Estonia’s Kusti Nolvak and Mart Tiisaar and followed it up by defeating Austrian pair Peter Eglseer and Daniel Mullner 21-19, 21-18.

It ensures them a place in the main draw, due to start tomorrow.

"We didn’t play our best volleyball in the first match and only just won," said Kvamsdal. 

"In the second we were talking about how it would be nice just to take it home and we did.

"Now it is about enjoying this, as everything beyond this is a bonus."

Kvamsdal and Sorum are playing in only their fourth FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, having first teamed up at the 2015 Antalya Open in Turkey.

At the age of 26, Kvamsdal is the senior partner and has featured on the World Tour since 2010.

Sorum, 20, enjoyed a solid age-group career before joining the World Tour last year, making his debut at the Stavanger Masters Series event on home sand alongside compatriot Runar Torsvik Sannarnes.

Australia's Cole Durant, pictured, and Bo Soderberg reached the main draw after winning two matches out of two ©Getty Images
Australia's Cole Durant, pictured, and Bo Soderberg reached the main draw after winning two matches out of two ©Getty Images

Australian duo Bo Soderberg and Cole Durant also reached the main draw after winning two matches out of two today. 

They started with a 21-9, 21-15 victory over Kazakhstan’s Artem Petrossyants and Yegor Dmitriyev and then completed qualification by defeating Turkey’s Hasan Huseyin Mermer and Sefa Urlu 21-13, 13-21, 15-12.

"The first match was against a team that are young and up-and-coming and they have a good fighting spirit, but we controlled the match all the way," Soderberg said.

"The second game was a bit different - they have been playing for a few years and have a good coach that we know well and who knows us well, so that was a bit tougher.

"We came out strong at the beginning, but at the end we decided to leave everything out there."

The Qatar Open is the second and last tournament for men only on this year's portion of the 2015-2016 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, following the controversial event on Kish Island in Iran in February. 

It is the third straight year that Qatar has hosted a FIVB World Tour in Doha.

The competition, which is set to conclude on Friday (April 8) with the medal matches, continues the road to Rio 2016 that lasts until June 13.

FIVB World Tour events count towards the Olympic ranking, which will determine 15 of 24 spots for each gender that will take part in this summer’s Olympic Games.