China had an excellent set against Australia last night, crushing the Down Unders, 24-6. However, they gained only 3 Victory Points on Italy - the Italians continued their winning ways with a 21-9 victory over Argentina. Italy now has 108 VPs out of a possible 125 and enjoys a 12.5-point lead over runner-up China.

Denmark, the defending champion, has begun to make its move. The Danes blitzed CAC, 25-5 and took a solid hold on third place, only 6.5 points behind China. Hong Kong also is coming on strong. Its 24-6 victory over Egypt vaulted them into fourth place, 7.5 points behind Denmark.

The top four teams at the end of the 14-match round-robin will move forward into the semifinals next Monday. The final will take place Tuesday and Wednesday.

A large batch of teams are within easy striking distance of the top four. This group includes Chinese Taipei, Argentina, Brazil, Norway, Australia and USA 2.