The top-seeded US pair beat Alex Ranghieri and Marco Caminati 21-15, 17-21, 15-6 with the duo winning 11 successive points in the third and decisive set.

The Americans began looking comfortable and, after taking the first set, held a 10-6 lead in the second.

However, the Italians turned the match around with a seven point run to help them send the match to a deciding set.

Ranghieri and Caminati opened with a 3-1 lead in the final set and were still up, 4-3, when the Americans' 11 point run began.

An impressive spell of serving by Dalhausser and Lucena’s relentless pressure on the attack propelled them to victory.

“Alex is one of the most physical forces out here, he’s a big dude up at the net,” Dalhausser said.

“With him in your face and trying to side-out in the wind, it’s tough. 

"I’ve never played that Marco guy, but he’s a baller. 

"No wonder they made it to the semis."

Brazil's Pedro and Evandro reached the gold medal match with a 14-21, 21-14, 15-11 victory over second-seeded Latvians Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins, which followed their quarter final win over Mexico’s Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros.

“You don’t see all our work in one week like last week," said Pedro, after the duo were knocked out of the Rio 2016 Olympics in the last 16.

"We have to keep it up, keep working hard. 

"We have a nice history together and we want to do well here. 

"It’s important for us.”

In the women's competition the American Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallists Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross eased to a semi-final win over Chantal Laboreur and Julia Sude of Germany to advance to Sunday’s gold medal match.

They won the match in straight sets, 21-17, 21-16, in just 47 minutes.

The top-seeded American duo will now meet Spain’s seventh-seeded Olympians Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo, who also beat a German pair in Katrin Holtwick and Ilke Semmler.

The Spanish duo came from behind to win 22-24, 21-16, 15-12. 

The Spaniards have now won the last seven three-set matches they have played.

“We worked very hard, didn’t quit and made some great plays at just the right time, especially in the second and third sets," said Baquerizo.

"We are very proud of ourselves. 

"We got nervous in the first set and blew it, but calmed down and did what we had to do.”

The 2016 FIVB World Tour regular season concludes after the event in Long Beach which is being played on a colourful purpose-built venue at Alamitos Beach adjacent to Marina Green Park on East Shoreline Drive.