Kim Behrens and Sandra Ittlinger advanced to the main draw ©Getty Images

Germany's Kim Behrens and Sandra Ittlinger were among the successful pairs as qualification action began the Beach Volleyball Major Series event in Gstaad in Switzerland.

The duo have been successful in all three of their qualification attempts this season and successfully negotiated two matches today.

They booked their place in the pool stages of the event with their second win, a 21-17, 21-13 success over Russians Yulia Abalakina and Ksenia Dabizha.

Natalia Dubovcova and Andrea Strbova of Slovakia were among those to join the Germans in going through as they won their second game against Dutch pair Jolien Sinnema and Laura Bloem, 21-13, 21-18.

Japan's Megumi Murakami and Miki Ishii came from behind to confirm their pool phase spot, 8-21, 21-17, 15-9 against Latvians Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka.

George Wanderley and Thiago Barbosa of Brazil were among men's qualifiers to go through ©Getty Images
George Wanderley and Thiago Barbosa of Brazil were among men's qualifiers to go through ©Getty Images

In the men's draw, Brazil's George Souto Wanderley and Thiago Santos Barbosa recovered from a set down to win their second match and advance to the pool stage.

They won 13-21, 21-18, 15-9 against Austria's Simon Fruhbauer and Jorg Wutzl.

A number of the second matches went the distance with Italians Enrico Rossi and Marco Caminati ousting China's Peng Gao and Yang Li 21-17, 19-21, 15-10.

Venezuela's Carlos Rangel and Jose Gomez defeated Canada's Aaron Nusbaum and Michael Plantinga 15-21, 21-16, 15-13 after a tight third set.

Men's and women's pool play gets underway tomorrow.