SAN FRANCISCO -- The flags atop the stadium court on Pier 30 were steadily blowing out towards the San Francisco Bay during the first day of the AVP Crocs Tour San Francisco. On the sand at ground level, it was a different matter entirely.

"It wasn't as bad as it could be," said John Hyden after he and partner Brad Keenan, the No. 4 seed, got past No. 5 Stein Metzger and Mark Williams, 21-16, 17-21, 15-11. "But when you're on the court, it's really swirly."

The shifts in direction meant that there wasn't an easily identifiable "good side" for teams to work off. And it led to the occasional ball floating well out of play thanks to an unforeseen gust.

"It felt like every time we switched sides, (the wind) was going their way," Hyden said. "It felt like they always had the offense because of it."

The perceived handicap didn't keep Hyden and Keenan from winning their hotly contested match, which featured yellow cards for Keenan and Williams. Next up for Hyden and Keenan is No. 1 seeds Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, the pair that staved off five consecutive match points en route to a 16-21, 21-19, 20-18 title-clinching victory in Santa Barbara last week.

"Next thing on the list, that's all," Hyden said. "It'd be better to be (facing Dalhausser and Rogers) in a final again."

Moderately happy birthday: Kevin Wong turned 36 Friday, but Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal didn't get him much of a present. Instead, Gibb and Rosenthal dealt Wong and partner Matt Olson a disappointing 19-21, 21-18, 15-10 defeat that knocked them into the contender's bracket.

Sixth-seeded Wong and Olson had been bidding to clinch a spot in the top six -- and thus ensure themselves of one of the eight automatic berths in next week's Manhattan Beach event, with its record $1 million total purse -- after beating No. 11 Billy Allen and Braidy Halverson earlier in the day, 21-19, 21-15.

But Gibb and Rosenthal, the No. 3 seeds, reeled off four straight points to go from a 5-5 tie in the third game to a 9-5 lead. Wong and Olson never got closer than two points after that.

Brrrrr: Long sleeves and leggings were the order of the day for many players unaccustomed to the chill of San Francisco. Play began and ended with temperatures in the 50s, and with the brisk wind, even the mid-60s high didn't feel that warm.

Some athletes had to take emergency shopping measures in response to the situation.

"We showed up and we had to actually buy local beanies and warm stuff because we didn't bring any," Brittany Hochevar said. "So I showed up in the throwback Golden State Warriors beanie, just trying to salvage any warmth that I can."

Bay Area native Kerri Walsh, who grew up in the more temperate San Jose, made no apologies: "I said, 'Put on some Hanes and wear a scarf.' Seventy degrees and always sunny is boring."

In other action: Third-seeded Nicole Branagh, a Bay Area native out of Orinda, and Elaine Youngs held on for a 21-18, 17-21, 15-12 win over Hochevar and Jennifer Fopma. The latter duo went up 12-11 in the third game on an ace, but Branagh and Youngs put together four unanswered points to close out the match. Branagh and Youngs will face the winner of Friday's last match: No. 2 seeds Jennifer Boss and April Ross against No. 7 Dianne DNecochea and Barbra Fontana.