Italy saved 4 match points and made a complete comeback from 0:2 to 3:2 (20:25, 23:25, 27:25, 26:24, 17:15) against Japan in the second quarterfinal match of the day. A turning point in the match was the third set, in which the Italians managed to save 3 match points against Philippe Blain's boys (21:24, 22:24, 23:24). Michieletto and captain Giannelli restored parity. A block by Michieletto against Nishida followed for Italy's first set point. Ishikawa restored parity (25:25). Daniele Lavia became a hero, leading his team with an attack from the pipe and then closing the set with a block-out.

Italy led throughout the fourth set until the first equalizer (19:19) came, after which the Japanese took a one-point lead (20:21). Michieletto restored parity, and a block by Russo put Italy ahead by a point. An attacking error by Ishikawa followed, and the score became 23:21 for the Italians. Galassi sent the ball into the net from a serve, but Michieletto again won the first set point with an attack on the sharp diagonal. The Azzurri closed the set only on the third try with a triple block against the Japanese attack.
The tie-break started evenly, with the Asians being the first to reach the eighth point (6:8). The score was leveled five times when Ran Takahashi sent his serve into the net, giving Italy its first match point. The Japanese managed to take a one-point lead (14:15) after an Ishikawa block-out and earned a fourth match point. A faulty serve by the volleyball players from the "Land of the Rising Sun" and a double block by Russo and Romano against Ishikawa led to a second match point for Italy. Russo was the most careful at the net and dropped a deflected ball into Japan's empty court, sending Italy to the semifinals.

Michieletto scored 24 points (2 blocks), while Lavia (2 blocks and 1 ace) and Romano (1 block and 2 aces) added 19 each. For Japan, the top scorer was captain Ishikawa with 32 points (2 aces).

The first referee of the match was our referee Ivaylo Ivanov.