World runner-up Hungary was upset Thursday by the United States 45-43 in the men's sabre team event, while reigning champion Russia cruised over the host Greece 45-22 in the quarter-finals at the Athens Olympic Games.
Keeth Smart scored seven points in the final round against Hungary's Domonkos Ferjancsik to make up a 40-38 deficit to win the bout.
The 26-year-old, who come from Brooklyn of New York, put the U.S. team to danger situation as he scored only one point against Zsolt Nemcsik to offer Hungary a 30-25 lead.
"Everybody stepped up to make it happen," said Smart, whose previous best result was a seventh finishing in the team event of the World Championships in Nimes, France, 2001.
Jason Rogers and Ivan Lee won the following two outings to keep the Americans in the game.
Second-ranked France took on great challenge of an inexperienced Chinese team, holding the younger Chinese to only six points in the last three outings to win 45-35.
Italy was the last to advance after it ousted Ukraine 45-44 in a breath-taking bout, which seeing the two sides battling all the way from the very beginning.
(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2004)
