Mathias Berntsen won in the 1st qualifying round in Mexico together with Hendrik Mol, but in the 2nd qualifying round they were eliminated. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB
Of NTB | 18.04.2024 05:53:59
Sport: Diaz and Alayo beat Mol/Berntsen 2-1 (15-21, 21-12, 15-10) in the second and final qualifying round on the night of Thursday Norwegian time.
Prior to this match, Mol and Berntsen beat Austria’s Moritz Pristauz and Robin Seidl 2-1 (20-22, 21-18, 15-10) in an even match in the first qualifying round.
Had Mol/Berntsen won against the Cubans, the Norwegians would have progressed to the main tournament in Tepic. So it didn’t work out that way.
Norway’s star duo Anders Mol and Christian Sørum miss both this and several other tournaments after Mol broke his leg during training at the end of March. He has undergone an operation and has had a splint inserted into his calf.
Mol and Sørum are reigning Olympic champions and have the Paris Games as this year’s main goal.
The group stage in Tepic begins on Thursday. It is the second of nine in the world tour’s elite 16 tournaments this year. Mol and Sørum finished third in the first in Qatar just over a month ago.
(© NTB)