Cuba coach Felipe Calderon concedes that his team will find it difficult to win a medal with their World Championships destiny out of their own hands.

The Cubans completed an unbeaten second round programme with a straight sets defeat of Poland, but defeats to Serbia and Montenegro and Italy in the first phase have left them at the mercy of other results.

Cuba will finish level on points with Italy and Japan if the hosts can beat the Italians in the last match of Pool E, but will be out of the reckoning if the defending champions score another victory.

Points ratio would determine who progresses into the semi-finals in Osaka if Japan win, and Calderon admits there is nothing else his team could have done after suffering the first-week setbacks.

"We are very happy with our results and performances in the second round," he said. "We are getting better with each match."

"But the first phase was very tough for us, and now we have to wait to see what happens in the last match.

"We know it is not easy to get a medal now, but we have to look forward and keep making progress every day."