Sara Hughes of the United States in action in Ostrava ©FIVB

The line-up for the last-16 was decided today after the concluding group games and elimination matches at the International Volleyball Federation's Beach World Tour event in Ostrava.

While some pairs won their groups and went straight through to the first full knock-out round, others had to endure play-off matches today to book their place.

Two all-American clashes caught the eye in the women's draw in the Czech Republic.

Sixth-seeded Sara Hughes and Summer Ross came through a titanic clash with Kerri Walsh Jennings and Nicole Branagh which lasted just short of an hour.

They came from behind to eventually win 18-21, 22-20, 18-16.

Emily Stockman and Kelley Larsen won the second all-American duel 21-19, 21-14 against Lauren Fendrick and Lane Carico.

"We are feeling really good," Stockman said.

"Kelley and I are a new team and we are getting better every time we step on the court, so it's really exciting."

Another close elimination game went the way of Spain's Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo McMillan, who won 21-17, 19-21, 20-18 against Russia's Svetlana Kholomina and Nadezda Makroguzova. 

Seventh-seeded Brazilians Pedro Solberg and Bruno Oscar Schmidt were among the duos needing an elimination win in the men's draw, beating Canada's Sam Pedlow and Sam Schachter 21-13, 14-21, 15-9.

Netherlands' Christiaan Varenhorst and Jasper Bouter, Czech Republic’s Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, Latvia’s Martins Plavins and Edgars Tocs, Spain’s Pablo Herrera Allepuz and Adrian Gavira Collado and Russia’s Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Nikita Liamin also came through play-off contests to make the full knock-out phase.

The tournament continues tomorrow.