Although the home team steadily improved as the match progressed and occasionally showed flashes of brilliance, Russia never really looked in danger.

Russian coach Viktor Diyakov said his team had been anxious going into the match.

'We had not played any high-profile games for a long period, so we were very nervous to get back into the game,' he said. 'We did well. It was a superb first match for us.' 

He also praised the atmosphere created by a raucous crowd, adding: 'The arena is superb and Great Britain has great fans.'

'There were a few close points and we were a little bit slow to start,' said Great Britain captain Robert Richardson. 

'In the end the whole match is just about a few key points that we missed. We had a plan and it worked but unfortunately because of the key points we lost the match.'

Find out more about the London 2012 Sitting Volleyball tournament.