#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open: Ciobanu beats Nazaryan, Hedayati top Pino

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 14) -- The final day of the Zagreb Open will see six Greco-Roman weight classes with a top match at 60kg between Victor CIOBANU (MDA) and Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) expected.

Catch all the action from the Zagreb Open free on UWW+. Use the promo code ZAGREB100

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

The finals for the evening session

55kg: Maksim STUPAKEVICH (AIN) vs. Adem UZUN (TUR)
60kg: Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) vs. Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
72kg: Levente LEVAI (HUN) vs. Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE)
82kg: Alperen BERBER (TUR) vs Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
97kg: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)
130kg: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) vs. Lingzhe MENG (CHN)

14:50: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) with a 6-0 shutout over Alex SZOKE (HUN) in the 97kg semifinal. Savolainen showing up in the Olympic year. He will face U20 world champion and world fifth placer Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) in the final. Khaslakhanau defeated Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) 4-1 in a very heated match.

14:40: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) and Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) in the 60kg semifinal. Ciobani gets the par terre advantage and despite a few jumps, he doesn't score. Nazaryan gets the par terre in the second period but also fails to score. He got a bodylock and almost got the suplex but Ciobanu put his hands on the mat and then brought Nazaryan down. It was scored two for Nazaryan but a challenge from Moldova. No points to either wrestler as neither was in control. Nazaryan with a 1-1 criteria lead. Ciobanu pushes Nazaryan towards the zone to score but Nazaryan gets out of the hold and brings Ciobanu in exposure. However, the scramble continues and Ciobanu gets two as well. It was initially scored only two Ciobanu but Bulgaria challenged the call. It's two for Nazaryan and two for Ciobanu with the Moldovan getting the criteria 3-3. Nazaryan can't break the criteria and will win 3-3.

14:20: Alperen BERBER (TUR) and Deni NAKAEV (GER) in the 82kg semifinal. Berber gets the first advantage and he comes up with a body throw for four to lead 5-0 at the break. Nakaev gets the chance from par terre in the second period. No score and Berber will walk into the final with a 5-1 win.

14:10: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) continues his dominant run and is into the 97kg semifinal with an 8-0 win over Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE). Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) is finding it difficult on Mat A as Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) scores a takedown to lead 3-0 and then two stepouts as Hlinchuk struggles to match the pace. Savolainen gets two points and Hlinchuk receives caution. Savolainen moves into the semifinals with a 7-0 win.

14:00: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) sets up a semifinal against Victor CIOBANU (MDA) at 60kg after a 9-0 win over Pridon ABULADZE (GEO). Nazaryan with a takedown and a suplex for four. A takedown to finish the bout.

13:40: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) with a statement win over Oscar PINO (CUB) at 130kg. Pino went in with a tapped thump and was in discomfort when he tried to turn Hedayati from par terre. Hedayati scored a stepout and a takedown just before the break to lead 3-2. He got the par terre advantage in the second period and Pino was cautioned for blocking, making it 6-2 for Hedayati. Cuba challenged the decision but lost which gave another point to Hedayati. Pino got a final chance when Hedayati was called passive. Pino gave it all to turn Hedayati but failed to finish it. A reversal made it 8-2 for Hedayati, the final score.

13:20: U20 world champion Alperen BERBER (TUR) cuts Mahmoud SEBIE's (USA) run with a 4-2 win at 82kg. Berber into the semifinals and he will face Deni NAKAEV (GER) who defeated Vasile COJOC (ROU) 10-5

13:15: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) books his spot in the 60kg semifinal with a 9-1 win over Ildar HAFIZOV (USA). He will get the winner of Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) and Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)

13:05: Two Individual Neutral Athletes on course to face each other. U23 world champion Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) gets two par terre advantages in the bout and wins 2-0 against Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR). On Mat B, Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) toys with Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) from par terre and wins 8-1.

12:50: Returning champion at 130kg Oscar PINO (CUB) with an 11-2 Oleksandr CHERNETSKYY (UKR) and he moves into the quarterfinals where he will face Fardin HEDAYITI (IRI)

12:30: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) rolls into the 60kg quarterfinals with an 8-0 win over SCARPELLO (GER). He will face Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) after the Georgian defeated world bronze medalist Liguo CAO (CHN) 4-2 

12:10: In the match of the day so far, U23 world champion Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) beats Tamas LEVAI (HUN) 11-5 at 97kg. Levai got a 3-0 lead but Hlinchuk hit two four-pointers in the bout to rule out a Levai win.

11:40: Alex SZOKE (HUN) with a 3-1 victory over Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE) at 97kg. Szoke is trying to win a spot on the Hungarian national team for the European Championships and Olympic Qualifiers

11:20: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) begins with an 8-0 superiority win over Iulian LUNGU (ROU) at 72kg. That match is followed by U20 world champion Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) taking on Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) at 97kg. Khaslakhanau fell behind 5-2 but turned it around in the second period with three correct throws and exposure to win 13-5

10:50: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) with a technical superiority win over Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) at 130kg. Hedayati has multiple age-group world titles but it is yet to be seen if he can challenge world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI).

10:40: That should settle for Azerbaijan's 130kg representative for European Olympic Qualifiers as Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) beats Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) 1-1 in the opening bout. Kandelaki got the passivity advantage in the second period to hold the criteria.

10:30: Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) move to 60kg from 55kg ends in a 12-3 loss against Denis MIHAI (ROU) who looked bigger and better than Tsurtsumia.

10:20: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) uses his big throws to win his opening round bout against Hassan ALHARTHI (KSA) 8-4. Ciobanu was stunned by that big move from Alharthi.

10:15: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) has got a wake-up call early in the competition. He wrestled Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) in the opening match and barely managed to eke out a 7-5 win at 60kg.

10:00: Greco-Roman weight classes on the final day of the tournament. Five will be in action in the morning as 55kg has only two wrestlers entered.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Ranking Series day four finals set

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 4) -- The Zagreb Open Ranking Series enters its fourth day with four women's wrestling and two Greco-Roman weight classes. A huge crop of talent is competing at 67kg including Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) who won the gold at 60kg in Tokyo.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

15:00: Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) is so good. Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) tried every trick he had but failed to break Mammadov's defense. The Azerbaijan wrestlers wins 4-4 and reaches the 63kg final.

14:35: Yelena MAKOYED (USA) is quickly becoming a threat at 76kg. She beats Dymond GUILFORD (USA) 12-2 to reach the final. If she can win domestically, she will have a chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics. But Adeline GRAY (USA) is standing on that path.

14:20: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a fall over Juan WANG (CHN). She moves into the 76kg final and will face the winner of Yelena MAKOYED (USA) vs. Dymond GUILFORD (USA).

14:00: HUSIYUETU (CHN) with the upset of the tournament as he wins 13-4 over Luis ORTA (CUB). Perhaps Orta was pushed to the limits by Jafarov and Sohrabi in the previous. But here he was helpless. Husiyuetu got the par terre advantage and trapped one of Orta's arms and scored via exposure. Nothing much Orta could do there. This also means that a Jafarov vs Sohrabi rematch won't take place.

13:40: Helen MAROULIS (USA) up against Patrycja GIL (POL) at 57kg. Gil with a takedown and tries to pin but Maroulis with excellent defense. Gil leads 4-0. Maroulis scores stepout to cut the lead to 4-3. A takedown just before the break for Gil. She begins the second period with a counter takedown and it's 8-3 for Gil who is struggling to keep up. Maroulis takedown on the edge to make it 8-5 with around a minute remaining. Gil with another spin behind and it's 10-5 for her. Maroulis will take a 10-5 loss at 57kg.

13:15: The quarterfinals at GR 63kg

Samuel JONES (USA) vs. Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO)
Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) vs. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB) vs. Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI)
SAGAR (IND) vs. Aref Hossein Khoun MOHAMMADI (IRI) 

12:50: Luis ORTA (CUB) is on a roll here. After beating Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), he now takes out Daniel SOHRABI (IRI). Sohrabi got a stepout and passivity point in the first period but Orta managed to escape. As the pressure built, Sohrabi tried pushing Orta out but a head pinch from Orta resulted in four points. Sohrabi was penalized for keeping his head low. Orta on 6-2.

12:30: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a resounding win over KIRAN (IND) at 76kg. She got the cradle to fall to move into the quarterfinals.

12:10: Sae NANJO (JPN) with a technical superiority win over  Alexandria TOWN (CAN). She is on course to wrestle Maroulis in what can prove to be a blockbuster.

12:05: Helen MAROULIS (USA) was checked by Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) as the latter scored the first takedown on her but she quickly fizzled out. Maroulis quickly turned up and won her opening bout at 57kg 11-2.

11:45: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) with those perfect low singles against Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). Despite all the tricks in her bag, Yepez has no idea how to deal with the phenom named Fujinami, who rolls to another technical superiority win at 53kg

11:36: Daniel SHORABI (IRI) is an absolute master at his craft. The young star gets Sylla into positions of no return. Shorabi scores three takedowns in his 10-2 win over Sylla.

11:35: Luis ORTA (CUB) hands Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) a 5-1 loss. He scores from par terre and two stepouts while Jafarov, despite getting the passivity point, fails to break Orta's defense.

11:20: Two big Greco-Roman bouts on adjacent mats. Luis ORTA (CUB) is wrestling Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE). Danial SOHRABI (IRI) is up against Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA). Both bouts are at 67kg. 

11:15: That has to be the calmest performance ever! Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) was trailing REETIKA (IND) 4-0 with 10 seconds remaining. With no signs of panic, Niikura used a head-pinched Reetika twice to win 4-4. So clutch.

10:55: Ningning RONG (CHN), competing for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics, could not get going in that bout against Patrycja GIL (POL). Shabby defense from Rong each time they got into scrambles and Gil built a 5-0 lead. Rong switched gears one in the final minute, scoring two takedowns but that was too little too late. 

10:40: A fall for Sam STEWART (CAN) over world champion Dominique PARRISH (USA) at 53kg. Parrish was going for the single leg and seems like her knee hit the mat before she could finish the move and lost her balance. Stewart kept Parrish on the back for the fall.

10:30: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) looks like she was never off the mat. A dominant 10-0 win over Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) at 53kg. Fujinami last competed internationally at the Asian Championships and has been struggling with a few injuries.

10:15: Tokyo Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) makes his debut at 67kg and begins with a win! A combination of big throws and pushouts gives him a 9-1 victory over Karanjit SINGH (IND).

10:00: Welcome to a very windy day here in Zagreb! The wrestlers are ready for another long day of wrestling. The return of Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) to international competition since the Asian Championships in April last year is the biggest story of the day.