The Swiss team won't have to face Larry Ellison's American team in the June 23-July 4 final, despite the San Francisco-based boat coming into the competition as one of the favorites.

"I was really surprised. It's sad that such a strong team with so much talent gets eliminated from the event," Alinghi managing director Grant Simmer said today. "It happened so quickly and so definitely."

The Americans bowed out to Italian team Luna Rossa 5-1 on Sunday in the best-of-nine Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals series.

For a team with nearly $270 million to spend and great ambition to bring the Auld Mug back to the United States for the first time since 1995, the Americans were surprisingly flat.

"I think BMW was a little surprised by (Luna Rossa's strong work) and that it was too late to react and sort out the issues," Simmer said. "I look at it and hope it doesn't happen to us — it's a lesson to us."

BMW Oracle Racing came into the semifinals after finishing second in the round-robin stage. It managed a come-from-behind win on the last leg of the second flight for its sole victory over the Italians, but the team never led around any marker in the series.

Ellison replaced Chris Dickson with backup helmsman Sten Mohr on the morning of the decisive sixth flight _ a decision that hinted at problems with team chemistry aboard the American yacht.

"I wasn't surprised to see Luna Rossa beat BMW Oracle Racing — I was surprised to see them beat them so early," Alinghi strategist Murray Jones said. "Chemistry in the back of that boat was always a question mark."

Ellison gave Dickson full control of the program as CEO as well as the duty of building the sailing crew as skipper. Perhaps the load was too much.

"His personality and style of leadership is not conducive to garnering unconditional support," said five-time America's Cup sailor Paul Cayard, whose AmericaOne yacht _ the predecessor to Oracle racing at the last America's Cup in 2003 — lost to Luna Rossa in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup final.

Despite the defeat, the Americans aren't gone yet.

The corporate hospitality program ensures they will be receiving guests until a winner is decided in the final. Decisions will be made about the future of the team in the coming weeks, and BMW Oracle Racing could go up against Alinghi in practice.

"That would be interesting. We would definitely consider it," Simmer said.

For now, the Swiss are focusing on the remaining challengers — with Emirates Team New Zealand leading Desafio Espanol 4-2 in the other semifinal matchup.