Gstaad, Switzerland, July 4, 2017 - Twin sisters Inna and Iryna Makhno qualified here Tuesday for a FIVB World Tour Main Draw for only the second time in 11 international starts together by winning two matches at the $600,000 Gstaad Major.
Seeded 21st in the 24-team Gstaad Major qualifier, the Makhno twins posted victories Tuesday over 12th-seeded Manon Nummerdor-Flier/Marleen Van Iersel of The Netherlands 2-0 (21-16, 21-17) in 29 minutes and fifth-seeded Jagoda Gruszczynska/Kinga Kolosinska of Poland 2-1 (18-21, 22-20, 20-18) in 53 minutes.
The only other time the 22-year old Makhnos qualified for a FIVB World Tour Main Draw was in October 2015 in Antalya, Turkey where the Ukrainians eventually placed 17th. Playing in their fourth event this season, the Maknno sisters failed to advance to the money rounds in Moscow, The Hague and last week in Porec, Croatia.
Other women’s qualifiers Tuesday at the Gstaad Major were first-seeded Taiana Lima/Elize Maia of Brazil, second-seeded Ekaterina Birlova/Nadezda Makroguzova of Russia, third-seeded Jolien Sinnema/Joy Stubbe of the Netherlands, fourth-seeded Kristina May/Taylor Pischke of Canada, sixth-seeded Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman of the United States, seventh-seeded Juliana Felisberta/Carolina Horta of Brazil, eighth-seeded Marta Menegatti/Rebecca Perry of Italy.