Italy’s world number one Alessio Foconi has won his first Shanghai Foil Grand Prix gold at the weekend after three previous minor medals, while Russia’s indomitable Inna Deriglazova has defended her title from last year.
World Champion Foconi defeated USA’s Nick Itkin by a solitary touch in the final bout, 15-14, having also defeated Itkin’s teammate Gerek Meinhardt in the table of 8 by the same scoreline. To reach the final he was too good for Hong Kong fencer Chun Yin Ryan Choi in their semifinal, advancing by a score of 15-11.
On Itkin’s side of the draw, he proved too good for Russia’s Timur Safin, winning 15-7 in their semifinal, and was pushed by another Italian, Tommaso Marini, 15-14, to reach the medal rounds.
The win was Foconi’s second international gold of the season — he also won World Cup gold in Paris in January — and his fifth overall including last years world Championship gold in Wuxi, China. For 19-year-old Itkin, the narrow loss meant he achieved his best international result so far, improving on his World Cup bronze in Bonn last November.
In the women’s event, Deriglazova again faced off with main rival Alice Volpi from Italy in the final, this time managing to defeat her 15-10 to claim the sixth Grand Prix gold of her career and the second of the season after Anaheim in March. The Russian has now won six out of her last seven international events, and will look to reclaim the World Championship she last won in 2017 this July in Budapest, where she is likely to come up against Volpi again. In all competition she has a win-loss ratio of 11-2 against the Italian, who despite Deriglazova’s dominance over her in finals, has retained the world number one ranking she gained at last year’s World Championships, which she won.
To reach the final, Volpi defeated USA’s world number four ranked fencer Lee Keifer (15-9), for whom it was a third individual bronze medal of the season. Deriglazova was too good for another two-time Italian World Champion Arianna Errigo in their semifinal, winning 15-10 to advance to the gold medal bout against Volpi.
FULL RESULTS
Women’s
1. Inna Deriglazova (RUS, Gold)
2. Alice Volpi (ITA, Silver)
3. Arianna Errigo (ITA, Bronze)
3. Lee Kiefer (USA, Bronze)
5. Leonie Ebert (GER)
6. Yuka Ueno (JPN)
7. Francesca Palumbo (ITA)
8. Sera Azuma (JPN)
Men’s
1. Alessio Foconi (ITA, Gold)
2. Nick Itkin (USA, Silver)
3. Chun Yin Ryan Choi (HKG, Bronze)
3. Timur Safin (RUS, Bronze)
5. Gerek Meinhardt (USA)
6. Alexey Cheremisinov (RUS)
7. Erwann Le Pechoux (FRA)
8. Tommaso Marini (ITA)
