Bermuda’s reward for reaching the round of 32 at the Heineken Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, is a showdown with the United States, who are No 1 seeds.

The island senior side finished 33rd of 40 at the conclusion of the group matches on Thursday. While only the top 32 were meant to progress, Emma Simmons, Vincent Chaves, Jose Barroso, Natalie Chaves and Edgar Griffith made it through ahead of Belize.

Playing out of Group F, Bermuda were swept 4-0 by both Singapore and Chinese Taipei. The team showed plenty of improvement in their final match, pushing Ukraine in a 3-1 defeat, with the lone Bermuda victory achieved in men’s doubles, where Vincent Chaves and Jose Barrosa defeated their Ukrainian opponents 21-14.

Last year, Bermuda finished the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They defeated China, Serbia and Trinidad & Tobago.

It was the second consecutive year that the senior team has advanced past the group stage at the World Cup, demonstrating sustained growth and competitive progress.

This year, the island sent a depleted squad to Vietnam, with the distance involved getting to the Asian country acting as the biggest deterrent for most of the players.