With some matches attracting crowds over 10,000, the event is proving to be a resounding success and so far the predictions are coming true as the four teams with the best chances on paper have all progressed to the penultimate round, with France the only alternative to the three Scandinavian nations who have shared the organising duties. 

France came into the tournament as reigning Olympic champions (25-30 to the Russians in the final), but without some of the players who were key players in Tokyo such as veterans Alexandra Lacrabere and Allison Pineau. Nevertheless, the team that has been coached by Olivier Krumbholz for the last 25 years (with a break between 2013 and 2016) proved to be a very strong unit and beat Norway (24-23) on the last day of the Main Round.

On Tuesday in the quarter-finals, Les Bleus overcame the Czech Republic 33-22 thanks to a great second half, after trailing 18-17 in the 32nd minute. Star player Estelle Nze Minko (Gyori ETO, Hungary) scored five goals, while Alicia Toublanc and Chloe Valentini added four apiece. For the Czechs, tournament top scorer Marketa Jerabkova made six goals to take her tally to 52. 

Their opponents in the second semi-final on Saturday at 21:00 in Herning will be Sweden, who on Wednesday confirmed their excellent World Cup with a near-perfect first half against Germany in the quarter-finals (16-6), before winning comfortably in the second half (27-20). Incidentally, the only two unbeaten teams at this World Cup will be facing each other. 

Once again, the Swedes relied on their defence and goalkeepers Johanna Bundsen (IK Savehof, Sweden) and Irma Schjött (Ikast Handbold), while right wing Nathalie Hagman (SCM Ramnicu Valcea, Romania) shined on the attacking front. The quality of the Scandinavian collective is best illustrated by the fact that four players scored five goals.

Tuesday also saw the winners of the last two editions book their places in the semi-finals. Norway bounced back from their defeat against France in a great match, beating the Netherlands (23-30) in the second half after the score was level at 13-13 after 32 minutes. 

This time their stars Nora Mork, Stine Bredal Oftedal and Camilla Herren were overshadowed by a colossal performance from Ikast Handbold (Denmark) right back Stine Ruscetta Skogrand, who scored nine goals from nine shots. 

The Norwegians open the semi-finals on Friday at 17.30 with a tricky encounter against Denmark in a packed Jyske Bank Boxen that will be a pressure cooker. The Danes have not looked as strong as the other two hosts, although they gave their best in Wednesday's quarter-final against Montenegro (26-24) in front of more than 11,000 fans. 

The hosts looked to have put the match beyond doubt when left-winger Emma Friis's 40th-minute strike put them seven goals up (21-14), but the Balkan side refused to go down without a fight and, under the leadership of Jelena Despotovic (Buducnost, Montenegro), came back to within two goals (25-23) with two minutes remaining, with another left-winger, Kristina Jorgensen of French side Metz, playing a key role.