PERTH, Australia Giusy Malata scored four goals Friday night as Italy beat the Netherlands 7-6 to win the gold medal final in the women's water polo competition at the World Swimming Championships. Cristina Consoli scored with 5:57 left in the final quarter to give Italy, the European champions, the win. The Italians started off the tournament with three straight losses. Australia, which lost to Italy in sudden-death overtime in a semifinal match Thursday, took the bronze medal with an 8-5 win over Russia. The teams were level 3-3 at half time.

Greece edged Canada 10-9 in a match to decide fifth place. In a match for seventh place, Hungary took a 3-0 lead en route to a 10-7 victory over the United States. Lilla Tiborcz scored four goals for the winners and Julie Swail three for the Americans. Spain beat Brazil 8-4 in the ninth-place playoff while in the match to decide 11th place, New Zealand defeated Kazakhstan 9-7.

(AP)