U.S. beach volleyball veteran Jake Gibb returned for his third Olympic Games, winning 21-16, 21-16 in his first preliminary match on Saturday.
By his side was his new partner and Olympic rookie Casey Patterson.
Patterson made his professional beach volleyball debut in 2003, playing in the summer while competing professionally on indoor volleyball teams in Puerto Rico and Sweden.
He paired with Gibb, the oldest player in the field, in 2013.
The sixth-seeded duo faced Qatar’s Jefferson and Cherif in their first preliminary match and took the first set 21-16. The pair took an early lead in the second set but Qatar quickly responded, trailing close behind at 14-13. Gibb and Patterson pulled away to win the match 21-16, 21-16.
Gibb and Patterson will play Austria’s Huber/Seidl on Aug. 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET.