Japan win Olympic beach volleyball match by default as Czechs withdraw due to COVID

By Emrah Oktay

TOKYO (AA) - The first match of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament has been canceled as a Czech player tested positive for the coronavirus.

Japan's Miki Ishii and Megumi Murakami won the match by default as Czech player Marketa Slukova, who tested positive for the virus last week, withdrew with her partner Barbora Hermannova.

Japan has advanced to the next round of the tournament.