It's time for the competitors in the Rosenblum Cup to go "testa a testa" - that's Italian for head to head - as knockout play begins today with the round of 64.

In the McConnell Cup, the women have the day off and will begin their round of 16 on Saturday.

There were no major surprises at the end of the qualifying rounds in either event as a large contingent of strong teams will fight it out for the right to ascend the podium as gold-medal winners next week.

There are several star-studded American squads still in the Rosenblum, including the three-time Bermuda Bowl champion Nick Nickell squad.

Four members of the current Bermuda Bowl champions – Italians Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes, Lorenzo Lauria and Alfredo Versace - are also in the round of 64 as members of the Angelini team. The other two members of the Bermuda Bowl squad, Norberto Bocchi and Giorgio Duboin - are part of the tough Lavazza team, including Argentine prodigy Agustin Madala.