Austrian youngsters stun Olympic silver medalists on the Danube Island

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Moritz (left) and Martin are now guaranteed a knockout match at the Vienna Major

It was easy. A straight sets victory over the Olympic silver medalists and multiple European champions at a packed Red Bull Beach Arena.

Easy.

So straightforward that Martin Ermacora and Moritz Pristauz could not quite believe it.

The Austrians, backed by a passionate crowd, were too good for the Swatch Major Gstaad bronze medalists Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai. Easy?

As they say in Vienna – wahnsinn. Crazy.

“That’s the first time we’ve beaten a really top, top team,” Martin, 24, explained after the 2-0 victory. “We had the perfect start in both sets and we were always three or four points up, so it was kind of easy.

“We lost to them after taking the first set in the four star in Ostrava, but we made up for it here. The crowd for sure helped, and that made it easier for us.”

By the time Moritz had finishes his media duties, he still could not get his head around how comfortable their big achievement was.

“I can’t believe it was that clear,” smiled the 22-year-old. “I mean they hardly had a chance. In the last 12 months we’ve learned a lot, we had the experience of last year’s World Championship s here, playing front of a big crowd, so we didn’t have many nerves. We were really calm and maybe that was the difference.”

The victory guarantees the M&Ms a place in the elimination stages but all eyes will now be on a clash against last season’s World Championship bronze medalists Liamin/Krasilnikov in a play-off to decide who wins pool B.

“We have nothing to lose now,” said Martin. “We have reached our goal already by getting out of the pool so we’ll go out and enjoy it. We played the Russians in Fort Lauderdale and lost to them in a close match in the final set. Maybe we can turn the tables on them here.”

Didn’t watch the game? Watch it back again on BeachStream – where you can watch their game later tonight against the Russians!