Hamid Esmaeili Claims Title After Seven Consecutive Wins
Hamid Esmaeili has emerged as the champion of the second speedgammon event at the 25th Cyprus Open. In a tournament where multiple contenders posted strong early runs and winning streaks, Esmaeili prevailed in all seven of his encounters to capture the title.
Esmaeili launched his run with a 5-1 win over Pouya Rajabi and followed up in Round 2 with a 5-0 shutout against Ciurtin Radu. He subsequently defeated Stepan Nuniyants and Ekrem Basdas to reach the tournament's critical latter stages undefeated.
In Round 5, Esmaeili faced one of his sternest tests against Alicem Dincer, who entered the contest on a four-match winning streak. Esmaeili took the match 5-3. In Round 6, he squared off against Shai Asaraf, who had won five consecutive matches, and produced an emphatic 5-0 clean sweep.
In the final match, he met Mario Wakim and triumphed 5-2, sealing his seventh straight victory and clinching the tournament crown.
Round 1: Action-Packed Start with 41 Matches
The competition opened with 41 fixtures in Round 1. From the start, dominant clean sweeps occurred alongside razor-thin decisions as several players got off to winning starts.
Guy Friedlich blanked Arash Afrouzian 5-0, while Houman Khatami achieved an identical 5-0 shutout against Masoud Eghdami. Sina Azarhoush swept Amanj Khandani 5-0, and Gil Davidovich dispatched Kalin Stefanov by the same 5-0 scoreline.
Alongside these shutouts, several fixtures came down to single-game margins. Kemal Erdem edged Catalin Bucur 5-4, while Mario Wakim held off Fadoul Khoury 5-4. Ralf Jonas defeated Faruk Han 5-4, and Taner Kandirali and Ekrem Basdas secured 5-4 victories over Amirhossein Motarjem and Amir Golgolab, respectively.
Among the Iranian contingent, Amin Shahvalizadeh opened with a 5-1 win over Metehan Tanis. Behzad Ahmadi shut out Nissim Murciano 5-0. Mohammad Javad Shams bested Ismail Donmez 5-2, while MOTI ITALY edged Amirali Tavakoli 5-4 in a nail-biter.
Hamid Esmaeili opened his campaign with a 5-1 victory over Pouya Rajabi, taking his first step toward an undefeated seven-match championship run.
Round 2: Leading Contenders Maintain Momentum
Round 2 featured 20 recorded matches as in-form players built on their opening-round momentum. Mario Wakim defeated Roohollah Amiri Andi 5-1. Honza Cerny edged Adnan Tayfur 5-4, and Kemal Erdem slipped past Christoph Wagner 5-4.
Jason Champion secured his second consecutive 5-0 shutout by defeating Ralf Jonas, having earlier swept Saadettin Tuncer by the same margin in Round 1. Ozcan Oranc also delivered a 5-0 sweep against Jean Abi Haidar.
Conversely, Round 2 brought setbacks for several Round 1 winners. Amin Shahvalizadeh fell 5-2 to Alicem Dincer, while Behzad Ahmadi lost a tight 5-4 contest to Mohammad Javad Shams.
Hamid Esmaeili defeated Ciurtin Radu 5-0, securing his second victory and advancing smoothly to Round 3 without dropping a game in the round.
Round 3: Contenders Separate from the Field
In Round 3, the battles among the early pacesetters intensified. Shai Asaraf edged Mohammad Javad Shams 5-4 in a close matchup. Mario Wakim earned his third consecutive win with a 5-0 sweep of Berk Eksioglu.
Ekrem Basdas defeated Guy Friedlich 5-1. Alicem Dincer notched his third straight victory by overcoming Osman Turker 5-2.
Honza Cerny maintained his winning ways with a 5-1 win over Kemal Erdem, while Sina Azarhoush edged Houman Khatami 5-4.
Hamid Esmaeili defeated Stepan Nuniyants 5-1, recording his third consecutive victory. At this stage, Wakim, Dincer, and Cerny all preserved strong winning streaks, while Asaraf joined the frontrunners with his hard-fought triumph.
Round 4: Clean Sweeps Continue
Round 4 featured five recorded fixtures. Hamid Esmaeili swept Ekrem Basdas 5-0 to collect his fourth consecutive victory.
Mario Wakim shut out Sina Azarhoush 5-0, extending his tournament run following earlier wins over Fadoul Khoury and Roohollah Amiri Andi.
Alicem Dincer defeated MOTI ITALY 5-1 to secure his fourth straight victory. Honza Cerny also prevailed 5-1 over Jason Champion, and Shai Asaraf topped Eren Sarikaya 5-1.
This round crystallized the upper bracket. Wakim, Dincer, Cerny, and Asaraf had each built formidable winning runs, while Esmaeili remained undefeated.
Meanwhile, Jason Champion absorbed his first recorded defeat after opening with consecutive 5-0 shutouts. Sina Azarhoush also suffered elimination from the unbeaten ranks following earlier victories.
Round 5: Dincer Stopped, Wakim Shines
Round 5 proved pivotal as several undefeated players went head-to-head.
Mario Wakim blanked Ozcan Oranc 5-0 for his fifth consecutive victory. Through five matches, Wakim had surrendered games in only two encounters, registering three complete shutouts.
In another marquee pairing, Hamid Esmaeili met Alicem Dincer, who entered with four straight wins. In a competitive affair, Esmaeili triumphed 5-3 to claim his fifth consecutive win.
The result halted Dincer's streak and pushed Esmaeili closer to the title.
In the round's third match, Shai Asaraf defeated Honza Cerny 5-3, handing Cerny his first defeat after four wins while extending Asaraf's own winning streak to five.
By the end of Round 5, Wakim and Asaraf stood on five consecutive wins alongside the unbeaten Esmaeili.
Round 6: Esmaeili Halts Asaraf in Clash of Streaks
Round 6 featured a lone fixture: Hamid Esmaeili versus Shai Asaraf. Both entered with five consecutive victories in one of the tournament's most anticipated showdowns.
Esmaeili delivered a flawless 5-0 shutout, recording his sixth consecutive win and ending Asaraf's five-match streak.
Prior to this match, Asaraf had defeated Simeon Todorov, Hamza Nar, Mohammad Javad Shams, Eren Sarikaya, and Honza Cerny. The loss to Esmaeili marked his first stumble.
Mario Wakim held a bye in Round 6, maintaining his five-match winning run intact heading into his clash with Esmaeili.
Round 7: Victory Over Wakim Completes Championship
In Round 7, Hamid Esmaeili faced Mario Wakim for the title. Wakim brought five consecutive victories into the final, bolstered by shutouts against Berk Eksioglu, Sina Azarhoush, and Ozcan Oranc.
Esmaeili entered on six straight wins, having conquered Alicem Dincer in Round 5 and blanked Shai Asaraf 5-0 in Round 6.
Esmaeili won the final 5-2, locking up his seventh consecutive victory and capturing the second speedgammon championship of the 25th Cyprus Open.
For Wakim, the loss ended an impressive five-match winning run that included three dominant 5-0 or 5-1 scorelines.
Performance Summary of Key Contenders
Hamid Esmaeili: Champion with Seven Straight Wins
Esmaeili went seven for seven, defeating Pouya Rajabi, Ciurtin Radu, Stepan Nuniyants, Ekrem Basdas, Alicem Dincer, Shai Asaraf, and Mario Wakim. Over the course of the tournament, he compiled a game differential of 35-12.
Mario Wakim: Five Straight Wins Before the Final
Wakim began with a 5-4 win over Fadoul Khoury, topped Roohollah Amiri Andi 5-1, and followed with 5-0 shutouts against Berk Eksioglu, Sina Azarhoush, and Ozcan Oranc. Following a Round 6 bye, he fell 5-2 to Esmaeili in the final.
Shai Asaraf: Five-Match Streak Stopped by Champion
Asaraf defeated Simeon Todorov 5-0, Hamza Nar 5-2, Mohammad Javad Shams 5-4, Eren Sarikaya 5-1, and Honza Cerny 5-3 before falling 5-0 to Esmaeili in Round 6.
Alicem Dincer: Four Consecutive Victories
Dincer bested Philippe Martin 5-2, Amin Shahvalizadeh 5-2, Osman Turker 5-2, and MOTI ITALY 5-1. His four-match streak was halted by Esmaeili in Round 5 (5-3).
Honza Cerny: Four Consecutive Wins
Cerny defeated Hasan Boyaci 5-3, Adnan Tayfur 5-4, Kemal Erdem 5-1, and Jason Champion 5-1 before succumbing 5-3 to Shai Asaraf in Round 5.
Jason Champion: Blistering Start
Champion recorded back-to-back 5-0 shutouts against Saadettin Tuncer and Ralf Jonas before receiving a Round 3 bye and falling 5-1 to Honza Cerny in Round 4.
Other Notable Results Across the Bracket
Several other competitors made strong impressions. Houman Khatami swept Masoud Eghdami 5-0 and edged Ivory Regva Demri 5-4 before falling in Round 3. Ramazan Ozpolat recorded consecutive 5-0 shutouts against Ismail Bilgili and Wissam Karam before exiting in Round 3 against Eren Sarikaya.
Ozcan Oranc registered consecutive 5-0 sweeps against Jean Abi Haidar and Can Ozturk before meeting Mario Wakim in Round 5. Mohammad Javad Shams defeated Ismail Donmez 5-2 and edged Behzad Ahmadi 5-4 before bowing out 5-4 to Shai Asaraf.
Conclusion
The second speedgammon competition of the 25th Cyprus Open concluded with Hamid Esmaeili capturing the title. Across seven matches, he navigated past in-form contenders including Alicem Dincer, Shai Asaraf, and Mario Wakim to secure a well-earned championship.