Cyprus Open Round 4 Concludes with Decisive Results
With the conclusion of Round 4 in the 25th Cyprus Open, fresh results have been recorded in the main bracket. This stage featured 97 completed matches alongside a bye for Ali Nasereldin. Several contenders advanced with dominant clean sweeps, while a series of razor-thin deciders settled the tournament lives of others.
Among the most significant outcomes of the round was Hamid Esmaeili's defeat against Simeon Todorov. Todorov cruised to a 9-1 victory, handing Esmaeili one of the heaviest defeats of this stage. In contrast, several Iranian competitors posted solid wins to move forward in the bracket.
Hamid Esmaeili Falls to Simeon Todorov
In Round 4, Hamid Esmaeili faced Simeon Todorov and suffered a 9-1 loss, representing one of the most lopsided scorelines of the round.
Esmaeili, who recently claimed the Cyprus Open speedgammon championship, encountered a tougher road in the main bracket. While this setback marks a major turn in his main-event campaign, his overall prospects depend on the tournament format and upcoming rounds.
With this victory, Todorov eliminated a formidable opponent and secured one of the standout results of the stage.
Key Victories for Iranian Competitors
The Iranian delegation recorded several noteworthy victories in Round 4.
Amin Shahvalizadeh edged Alaattin Ozaltun 9-7 in a hard-fought contest. Houman Khatami delivered an emphatic 9-0 shutout against Levent Postoglu. Behzad Ahmadi defeated Sibel Saray Karadag 9-6, while Shai Asaraf bested Amirhossein Motarjem 9-4.
Pouya Rajabi bowed out 5-9 against Mustafa Kemal Alemdar. Amir Golgolab won a tight 9-7 thriller against Refik Vural, and Shahin Nejat defeated Abdul Barakat 9-3.
In other matches, Amirali Tavakoli defeated Peter Carlsson 9-4, while Mehrdad Goodarzi fell 5-9 to Mario Kuhl. Mohammad Javad Shams narrowly missed out in an 8-9 battle against Engin Hidir.
These mixed results show that while several Iranian competitors secured convincing victories, others fell just short in nail-biting finishes.
Other Notable Round 4 Outcomes
The international field also witnessed several emphatic sweeps alongside dramatic deciders.
Hankan Rustem blanked Yashar Farnam 9-0, while Selim Akus achieved an identical 9-0 shutout over Hakan Bozkurt. Philippe Martin swept Hamidreza Shahrokhi 9-0, and Gia Rizinashvili defeated Fadoul Khoury 9-4.
Honza Cerny topped Berkant Bilgi 9-3, Catalin Bucur defeated MOTI ITALY 9-2, and Christoph Wagner overcame Michael Vardanian 9-3.
In razor-thin matches, Eren Sarikaya edged Zhivko Tanev 9-8. Yousef Abdollahnezhad also prevailed 9-8 against Jerzy Benke. Hamza Nar claimed a tight 9-8 win over Minh Nguyen, and Philippe Vouhe edged Dag Ekmark 9-8.
Additionally, Metehan Tanis defeated Ismail Bilgili 9-8, while Reza Monfared fell 5-9 to Ali Mandalinci.
Marquee Contenders Battle On
Honza Cerny kept his title hopes alive with a 9-3 win, while Shai Asaraf maintained his winning momentum by defeating Amirhossein Motarjem. Mario Kuhl, Gil Davidovich, and Jason Champion experienced mixed fortunes: Kuhl beat Mehrdad Goodarzi 9-5, Davidovich fell 8-9 to Ismail Aydin Mesta, and Champion lost 3-9 to Ibrahim Karaca.
Other prominent results included Ozcan Oranc's 9-2 win over Nick Liapis and Berk Eksioglu's 9-6 triumph against Yunus Emre Bostanci.
These results once again demonstrated that pedigree alone does not guarantee progression in the main bracket, as every round reshapes the tournament landscape.
Dramatic Finishes Highlight Round 4
Alongside dominant sweeps, several encounters came down to the final game. Selim Akus edged Rolf Schroeder 9-8. Erhan Yenisen defeated Eva Zizkova 9-1, and Eren Sarikaya overcame Zhivko Tanev 9-8 in a thriller.
Elsewhere, Mustafa Kemal Alemdar defeated Pouya Rajabi 9-5, while Ricardo Malas bested Huseyin Ozdag 9-4.
These hard-fought matches highlighted that Round 4 was defined not only by runaway wins but also by grueling battles that tested players to the wire.
Round 4 Overview
Round 4 of the Cyprus Open wrapped up with a wide spectrum of results. Hamid Esmaeili's 9-1 loss to Simeon Todorov stood out as a marquee upset, while Houman Khatami (9-0), Amin Shahvalizadeh (9-7), and Behzad Ahmadi (9-6) led the successful Iranian charge.
Shai Asaraf advanced past Amirhossein Motarjem, while international stars like Honza Cerny and Catalin Bucur registered commanding wins.
With this round in the books, attention shifts to Round 5. Track live brackets and updated schedules on the official FTBgsystem platform.