The Greek women’s national water polo team has made history, securing a spot in the World Cup semifinals for the first time. In their opening match of the tournament’s final stage, held in Chengdu, China, the Greek squad overpowered Italy with a thrilling 19–14 victory, advancing to the top four and placing themselves firmly in medal contention.
Up next, the team coached by Haris Pavlidis will face a formidable opponent—powerhouse Netherlands—in tomorrow’s April 19, semifinal. The Dutch side cruised past Japan with a dominant 24–16 win in their own quarterfinal clash.
Offensive Fireworks Light Up the Pool
After a tightly contested opening few minutes, the match quickly turned into a high-octane shootout, with both teams exchanging goals at a dizzying pace. While Greece never trailed on the scoreboard, they struggled to build a substantial lead, largely due to defensive lapses that allowed Italy to keep the game within reach.
That all changed in the final two minutes of the first half. A burst of three goals from Elena Xenaki gave Greece their first real cushion, sending them into halftime with a 12–9 lead—an explosive second quarter that saw a staggering 14 goals scored in total.
A Relentless Second Half
Both coaches opted to switch goalkeepers at the break, with Alexia Tzourka replacing Marina Kotsioni for Greece. Despite the change, the offensive onslaught showed no signs of slowing down. Italy clawed back to 12–11 early in the third quarter, but Greece restored a three-goal advantage and had a golden opportunity to widen the gap further.
However, Italian goalkeeper Condorelli came up big in a one-on-one against Santa, keeping the score at 16–13 heading into the final period.
Lockdown Defense Seals the Deal
As fatigue set in—a natural consequence of the game’s intense pace—Greece tightened up defensively. Tzourka made several key saves, helping her team maintain control.
Although Italy’s Cocchiere narrowed the gap with her fourth goal from close range, Giannopoulou responded swiftly during a power play, and Myriokefalitaki converted a penalty to seal Greece’s place in the semifinals.
