USA and Russia avoid back-to-back defeats

· Russia (including Soviet Union) have won four of the six World Cup matches against USA, including the last three, in 1999, 2007 and 2011.

· In these three editions in 1999, 2007 and 2011, Russia also qualified for the Olympic Games, while USA finished fourth, fourth and sixth respectively in the World Cup.

· USA won the ties at the 1985 and 1991 World Cups.

· Four of the six matches needed a deciding fifth set, with Russia winning three of these matches.

· USA have won seven of the eight most recent matches against Russia, all in the World League. They claimed four wins against them in the 2015 World League.

· United States suffered their first defeat this World Cup campaign, losing 3-1 to Poland on Monday.

· They can lose back-to-back World Cup matches for the first time since 2011, when they failed to beat Brazil (3-1) and Russia (3-0).

· United States have won six matches in straight sets this World Cup campaign. Their record of most 3-0 victories in one World Cup campaign is eight set in 1995.

· United States have lost their last two World Cup matches played in Tokyo. They have never lost three in a row in the Japanese capital.

· Russia suffered their second defeat this campaign by losing to Italy in straight sets on Monday. They have never had three defeats at a single World Cup.

· It was only their fifth straight set defeat in 92 World Cup matches, two against Brazil (2007, 2011), two against Italy (1989, 2015) and one against Japan (1969).

· Russia can record back-to-back World Cup defeats for the second time ever and for the first time since 2007. They have never lost two World Cup matches in a row in straight sets.