Australia reaffirmed its Commonwealth champion status with a stirring 12-8 victory over Canada on the opening night of the Women's Water Polo World Cup in Tianjin, China overnight.

Australia won every quarter in a quality display as the Canadians had no answer to the swift counter-attack.

Kate Gynther and Bronwen Knox scored three each while the Rippon sisters, Melissa and Rebecca, along with goalkeeper Alicia McCormack, had standout games.

Playing in the small stadium in oppressive heat and humidity, the Aussies have surpassed the first hurdle in the group of death and tonight will play Olympic champion Italy, who came back from an impossible 5-1 down at halftime to eclipse World Champion and defending World Cup champion Hungary, 8-7.

In the other group of the eight-nation event played every four years, World League champion United States of America held out Russia 11-10 and the new-look Greece headed off a tenacious China 10-7.

Head coach Greg McFadden said: “We’ve played Canada six or seven times and had two training camps with them this year and we still came away with a good result, which is pleasing.

“Our defence was quite good. We didn’t start well but then we scored a couple of extra-man (goals) and we had a little luck on our side. The scoreline was a little exaggerated.”

Australian Water Polo