Men’s recurve top seed Brady Ellison of the United States is safely through to the second round at the World Indoor Archery Championships ©World Archery

Men’s recurve top seed Brady Ellison of the United States is safely through to the second round at the World Indoor Archery Championships after he overcame Georgia’s Lasha Pkhakadze at The Congresium in Ankara today.

Ellison, the two-time world indoor champion, who recently won his third Indoor Archery World Cup Final crown in Las Vegas, topped the leaderboard in qualification with a score of 595 points to set up a meeting with the Georgian in round one.

The American proved too strong in the first and last sets, though Pkhakadze did manage to claim a point each in the second and third, as he wrapped up a comfortable 6-2 success.

The 27-year-old will go up against another Georgian archer tomorrow in round two, 17th seed Zurab Mestvirishvili.

“I didn’t shoot how I wanted,” Ellison said following the qualification stage.

“I had a couple of arrows called out and it was a bit slow.

“But I’m happy to be ranked first and heading into the head-to-head rounds I’ll think I’ll start to feel a lot better.”

In the women’s recurve competition, Germany’s Lisa Unruh also breezed through to the second round as she beat 32nd seed Jennifer Schneider of the United States 6-2.

She will be joined by number two seed Sugimoto Tomomi, the Japanese second behind Unruh’s total of 590 points in qualification, after she thrashed Belarusian Hanna Marusava 7-1.

Defending men's compound champion Sergio Pagni of Italy topped the qualification round in the discipline
Defending men's compound champion Sergio Pagni of Italy topped the qualification round in the discipline ©World Archery

“In the first half I was more comfortable with my technique,” Unruh said.

“In the second half there were a few things where I thought, ‘Oops’, but then the next shot was better again and then I moved on.

“I’m really enjoying these world championships so far.”

Third seed Claudia Mandia of Italy, tipped as a potential dark horse for gold in Ankara, accounted for Poland’s Wioleta Myszor in round one with a trouble-free 6-2 triumph.

Italy’s Sergio Pagni, the only one of the four senior defending world indoor champions to compete in the event in the Turkish capital, asserted his position as the one to beat in the men’s compound discipline as he finished at topof the leaderboard on 597 points.

His compatriot Irene Franchini claimed the top seeding in the women’s compound after a score of 587.

The 34-year-old is due to entertain Katarzyna Szalanska of Poland in the next round after she received a bye in the first knockout stage.