World Championships: Japan Routs Great Britain, Italy Squeaks Through Women’s Water Polo Crossover
Japan made the quarterfinals of the World Aquatics Championships for the first time, and Italy just squeaked by China Thursday in the women’s water polo tournament in Singapore.
Japan was the lone third-place team to win in the crossover matches, the last chance to reach the quarters, with a 23-10 win over Great Britain. The other matches when to second-place sides, but not always easily. Italy got the biggest scare, a 13-11 win over China. The Netherlands handled New Zealand, 14-9, while Greece is in the quarters for the 12th straight edition of the tournament via a 23-9 romp past France.
Japan scored 11 times in the first half and never looked back. Shoka Fukuda and Eruna Ura each paired three goals with four assists. Maho Kobayashi had four and two. Kako Kawaguchi, Ai Sunabe and Fuka Nishiyama each tallied hat tricks for Japan, which shot 66 percent (23-for-35).
“This is a big, big success for Japan,” Sunabe said. “It’s the first time we’re in the top eight of the world championships and it’s a really good experience for us.”
Japan books a quarterfinal date with the U.S. on Saturday. The eight-time World Champion qualified directly winning Group B.
Italy never trailed but could never unlatch itself from China in a game that was just 11-10 with six minutes left. Seven steals as a team and nine saves from Aurora Condorelli helped Italy survive the scare.
Dafne Bettini led the offense with three goals and four assists. Roberta Bianconi scored three goals (albeit on eight shots), and Chiara Ranalli paired two goals on two shots with two assists. Italy gets a date with Hungary in the quarterfinals.
Siya Yan led China with two goals and two assists, Shiyun Wang scored twice and Yineng Shen made eight saves.
The Dutch eased past New Zealand thanks to five goals and two assists from Simone van de Kraats. Maartje Keuning (two goals) was the only other Dutch player with multiple goals. Millie Quin had a hat trick for the Kiwis.
Foteini Tricha was 5-for-5 shooting to move into the tournament lead with 20 goals and pace Greece. Eleftheria Plevritou scored four times, and Vasiliki Plevritou added three goals. Greece’s defense limited France’s Ema Vernoux to 1-for-7 shooting.
The Netherlands plays Spain in Saturday’s quarterfinal, a rematch of the 2023 gold-medal match, won by the Dutch. That’s the nightcap. Australia and Greece play in the first game of the day.
Crossover round losers head to the 9-12 placement round.
