Italy's Paola Croce trampolines into the air for a spike.

A huge and noisy group from Napoli echoed her confidence. "There are 34 of us here", Guido told me. "We've been here since the start of the games. We're a mixture of friends, enthusiasts, and some members of the Italian Federation, and we won't be going home without a medal!" He pointed out one of the group, Vincenzo Gioli, whose wife Simona is one of the stars of the Italian squad.

On court, Italy did not get it all their own way. There was an unmistakable difference in class compared to the previous match, noticeable in some stirring rallies involving up to half-a-dozen exchanges, with some great defensive work being done on both sides. The power serving stepped up a notch too – none stronger than Italy's star Taismary Aguero, whose thundering service would not disgrace the man's game. Aguero is a true globetrotter, born in Cuba and currently playing for the Turk Telecom Club in Ankara, Turkey.