France beat the United States 3:0 at the Hubert Wagner Memorial on Thursday, extending their winning start to the tournament. The hosts had been looking to bounce back after two defeats so far, but the visitors showed no mercy. France are now top of the standings with six points from two games.
The Americans came into this fixture with mixed memories from their opening matches. They had won three of their first five games, including victories over Puerto Rico and Mexico, but also suffered a heavy 3:0 loss to Canada. This defeat adds to their struggle at the tournament, leaving them bottom of the table with zero points.
France meanwhile have been relentless. They opened with a 3:0 win over Bulgaria on July 19, and since returning to action on August 21, they have not dropped a single set. Their recent run includes victories against Serbia, Portugal, Algeria and Tunisia. The away end never stopped, but there was little to cheer for in the home crowd.
The result means France have nothing to lose in their remaining fixtures, while the USA are staring at the drop. The hosts have lost both matches so far and face an uphill battle to salvage anything from this tournament.