Turin, 22 July (LaPresse) – After their defeat by Greece in the quarter-finals, Settebello lost 12-8 to Montenegro in the match for fifth to eighth place at the Water Polo World Championships in Singapore. Iocchi Gratta was absent, suspended for four games (two of which he will serve at the European Championships in Belgrade in January if he is called up). Montenegro scored two decisive breaks of 3-0 and 4-0 at the start and between the second and third quarters, fuelled by two goals from the talented Vukovic, who then scored four, Macic and Gardasevic. In the final stages, another 3-0 spree extinguished any hopes of a comeback. For Italy, Di Somma and Di Fulvio scored twice, but the team was again let down by its man advantage, scoring only 4/13 and missing two penalties. Settebello will play on Thursday 24 July at 10 a.m. Italian time against the loser of the match between Croatia and the United States in a game valid for seventh place. ‘The wound from the defeat against Greece has not healed, that much is clear, and it is quite a deep wound,’ said coach Alessandro Campagna.
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