Build-up to FIE Grand Prix series continues with all-Ukraine and Italy Women’s Finals in Bratislava

The weekend’s action was the latest in a series of warm-up competitions taking place all building up to fencing’s FIE Grand Prix series events starting in December.

There was an all-Ukranian Final in the Women’s epee and a great Final it was too which was eventually won by Yana Shemyakina.

She came up against compatriot Inna Brovko and after an epic battle took the event’s honours by the narrowest of margins, winning by 15 touches to 14. Shemyakina had already accounted for another fellow Ukranian Kateryna Chorniy in the semi-finals 15-5, after seeing off Hungary’s Reka Szabo in a tight quarter-final 15-12.

Brovko had to fight slightly harder to make the Final, edging out Poland’s Barbara Rutz 15-14 in the quarter-finals and Israel’s Yana Botvinik 15-13 in the semi-finals.

The Women’s foil competition came down to an all-Italian showdown in the Final which was claimed by Marta Cammilletti.

Her opponent was teammate Marta Ricci and she closed down a comfortable victory by 15 touches to 8, having earlier progressed at the expense of the host nation’s Kitti Bitterova (15-9) and The Netherland’s Eline Rentier (15-7) in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

Ricci had a more challenging path to the Final as she beat Hungary’s Szonja Szalai 15-12 at the quarter-final stage, ahead of fending off the challenge of Poland’s Julia Walczyk 15-10 in the semi-finals.

There was also a men’s foil tournament staged in Bratislava and it was Hungary’s Daniel Dosa who emerged victorious after an excellent all-round performance both in and leading up to the Final.

He beat Croatia’s Petar Files 15-7 in the competition decider, this having earlier seen off Italy’s Davide Filippi 15-8 in the quarter-finals and Austria’s Tobias Reichetzer 15-9 in the semi-finals.

For his part, Files earned his shot at the Final by beating Belgium’s Stef Van Campenhout 15-8 in the quarter-finals and the host nation’s hope Cedrik Serri 15-9 in the semi-finals.