Stavanger, Norway, July 2, 2009 - While the top six-seeded women's teams were all winning first round elimination matches here Thursday, a team from the Czech Republic upset a higher-seeded team from Germany as the 2009 SWATCH FIVB World Championships presented by ConocoPhillips continues Friday with round of 16 and quarterfinals on the Vaagen Harbour dockside courts.

Eleventh-seeded Sona Novakova and Lenka Hajeckova upset seventh-seeded Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler 21-16 and 21-16 in 36 minutes as the three top-seeded teams each from Brazil and the United States all won opening matches to move forward in the 32-team single-elimination bracket portion of the US$1-million tournament that started June 25 with 48 teams for both men and women competing in four-team groups of pool play.

The top two teams in 12 pools advanced to Thursday's opening elimination rounds along with the eight best third-place tandems in each group in the 32-team single-elimination brackets.

Top-seeded Jennifer Kessy and April Ross of the United States scored a 21-17 and 21-10 victory in 38 minutes over 37th-seeded Svitlana Baburina and Galyna Osheyko of the Ukraine.

Second-seeded Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes of Brazil opened elimination play by defeating 41st-seeded Merel Mooren and Marloes Wesselink of the Netherlands, 21-12 and 21-13 in 34 minutes.

Third-seeded Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil moved to the round of 16 with a 21-10 and 21-15 win in 34 minutes of Mexico's 34th-seeded Mayra Garcia and Bibiana Candelas.

Americans Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, seeded fourth in the tournament, advanced by beating 12th-seeded Danielle Remmers and Michelle Stiekema of The Netherlands 21-18 and 21-10 in 37 minutes.

Fifth-seeded Brazilian's Ana Paula Connelly and Shelda Bede survived a three-set match to defeat Cuba's 42nd-seeded Dalixia Fernandez Grasset and Imara Esteves Ribalta 21-14, 19-21 and 17-15 in 59 minutes.

The third United Sates team in the elimination rounds, sixth-seeded Angie Akers and Tyra Turner were also extended to three sets before advancing to the Friday's action. Akers and Turner came from behind to defeat 28th-seeded Canadians Annie Martin and Marie-Andree Lessard 18-21, 24-22 and 17-15 in a 61-minute match.

Capping Thursday evening's play before an enthusiastic near capacity crowd in the 8,000-seat Vaagen Harbor Centre Court, Norway's 9th-seeded Nila Ann Hakedal and Ingrid Torlen pushed 8th-seeded Brazilian sisters Marie Clara and Carolina Salgado to three sets before losing 16-21, 21-16 and 15-7.