Doha, October 11 (QNA) - The Qatari duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan advanced to the quarterfinals of the Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour at the International Beach Volleyball Center of Excellence in Al Gharafa after topping Group A with three straight-set victories.

Younousse and Tijan opened their campaign on Saturday with a straight-sets victory over Thailand's Nalphadon and Puravich (21-15, 21-19). They maintained their impressive form today with two more straight-set wins, first defeating China’s Li Wei and Yuan Ningfei (21-9, 21-15) and then Indonesia's Firza and Rizki (21-13, 21-9).

The Qatari duo delivered commanding performances across all three matches, underlining their readiness to mount a strong title challenge after completing the group stage unbeaten and without dropping a set.

Younousse and Tijan's participation has generated significant interest following a series of recent achievements. They won gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, securing a third consecutive title after triumphing in Jakarta and Palembang in 2018 and Hangzhou in 2022.

The pair also claimed gold at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games in China and were named Asia's Best Men's Beach Volleyball Players for the 2025-2026 season.

Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan lead the men's team standings with 4,660 points and enter the competition with high hopes of claiming the title, backed by extensive experience and impressive results at both continental and international levels.

Meanwhile, Qatar 2, comprising Mousa Al-Khair and Mohammed Ehab, were eliminated in the group stage after straight-set losses to Australia's Oliver Merritt and Jade Walker (13-21, 17-21) and China's Li Xiaokai and Sun Xinglong (24-26, 13-21).

Qatar 3, represented by Saif Al Din Al Majid and Mahmoud Essam, also exited in the group stage after two three-set defeats. They lost to Indonesia’s Imam and Firouz (18-21, 21-13, 21-23) before falling to Thailand's Nittithorn and Watcharawut (21-16, 17-21, 13-15). (QNA)