Check out which teams will be in the main draw on the Danube Island

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Martin Ermacora and Moritz Pristauz will be aiming to entertain the Vienna crowd again this year

Some of Austria’s best beach volleyball players have been awarded wildcards at next month’s A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch.

In the men’s main draw, World Tour regulars Martin Ermacora and Moritz Pristauz will take their place among the 24 teams secured of a spot in the pool play as wildcards. They will be joined by fellow Austrians Jörg Wutzl Simon Frühbauer who have secured a gold and silver medal together this season, winning the one-star event in Langkawi back in April.

Xandi Huber and Christoph Dressler have been given a qualification wildcard in the men’s draw, while in the women’s qualification phase, Anja Dörfler and Stephanie Wiesmeyr will line-up as a wildcard.

Main draw wildcards for the women include Germany’s latest rising stars Kim Behrens and Sandra Ittlinger, who have already secured top 10 finishes in all of their tournaments so far this season.

The big news from the tournament, however, will be the first return to the beach for Italian Viktoria Orsi Toth. The 27-year-old hasn’t been on the sand since the 2016 Gstaad Major having served a ban for testing positive for a banned substance. She has been given a wildcard to partner Marta Menegatti, her former teammate with whom she enjoyed a number of excellent performances over four seasons.

The final women’s qualification wildcard was awarded to last year’s World Champs silver medalist Lauren Fendrick and Sarah Sponcil. The American pair were runners-up at an AVP tournament together earlier this season.

In total, 12 Austrian teams will take their place on the Danube Island to go in search of glory. Who will be able to emulate last season’s performance of Alex Horst and Clemens Doppler after their silver medal at last season’s World Championships?

Check out the full entry list for the Vienna Major by clicking here.