Czech boys saved by the shower

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Action from the Red Bull Beach Arena as the rain comes down during the storm

With the score tantalizingly poised at 23-23 in the second set, the heavens opened, down came the rain; huge crowds left the Red Bull Beach Arena and then, for the players on court, a long waited ensued.

Would the storm cease? Would the games be restarted? Was that the day finished, would the match have to be completed on Friday?

For Czech pair David Schweiner and Ondrej Perusic their two-set win over Austrians Simon Frübauer and Jörg Wutzl was the longest match of their careers and the shortest.

After a two-hour wait, play resumed on the side courts as the skies cleared, and just two points and two minutes later the Czech duo celebrated a 25-23 second set win to book a place in the last 24 of the A1 Major Vienna presented by Swatch.

“I don’t know what to say, it was the shortest and longest,” said David with a smile. “We thought we might have to come back on Friday but were then told to we were going to finish it. It was a two-point game when we came back on side courts and that was the aim, win two points and that’s what we did.”

David and Ondrej were up against it in the second set as the Austrians fought back, but the storm that hovered over the Danube Island made conditions impossible for both teams before play was eventually stopped.

For the Czech team, the stoppage came at the perfect time – especially as they were playing against three people on the court…

“The Austrians fans were cheering for them,” continued David. “The support was 99 per cent for them but the storm came. We were behind for much of the second set – largely because of some receiving mistakes from myself – but when we returned to the side court there wasn’t as many fans.

“The game on the center court was crazy. The fans were amazing, they were cheering still while it was raining but for us on the court, all four of us were struggling. It was a blind game at times, I was just hoping that my touch was good.

“It was a different experience but we’re happy to still be on the tournament and we want to go further.”

The remaining matches that were interrupted were played to a conclusion.

Matches that were scheduled for later on Thursday have been rearranged for Friday morning. For a revised court schedule click here.