WASHINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Four women's beach volleyball teams and three men's teams of the United States are in Marseille, France for the SWATCH FIVB Grand Slam this week.

    The 600,000 U.S. dollars World Series 13 Grand Chelem, the third of four straight Grand Slam tournaments, is the first "pure" single-elimination international beach volleyball event in nearly eight years.

    Competition began Monday with the women's qualification.

　 Lauren Fendrick and Ashley Ivy, who were ranked second in qualifying, received a bye straight to the first round, which was played Tuesday.

    Fendrick and Ivy, ranked 25th in the Main Draw, defeated 40th-seeded Great Britain's Lucy Boulton and Denise Johns, 2-1 (21-14, 17-21, 15-13) in 50 minutes. Fendrick and Ivy will face Germany's eighth-seeded Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig in Wednesday's second round.

    Also competing in Tuesday's second round will be third-seeded Jen Kessy and April Ross, who will play Germany's 30th-ranked Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau.

    Fourth-ranked Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, coming off a victory at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open, will play Norway's 29th-seeded Janne Kongshavn and Kathrine Maaseide.

    Eleventh-seeded Angie Akers and Tyra Tuner will take on Canada's 22nd-ranked Marie-Andree Lessard and Annie Martin.

    Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, who won the men's title at the AVP tournament in Manhattan Beach, California on Sunday, are seeded 16th.

    Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers are ranked fourth. Casey Jennings and Matt Fuerbringer are seeded eighth.