For this 2^nd day of the Paris Open Karate, Japan’s Ayumi Uekusa (+68 kg) is in the final against France’s Nancy Garcia. In -61 kg, another French girl will try to win her first title in paris on Sunday. In the male category, the Tops failed as the +84 kg World champion, Jonathan Horne.

By Florian Fournier

Photo : Kphotos

-84 kg : Anton for the first time

Winner of Japan’s Ryutaro Araga (1-0) in the ¼ final, and then of Shimada (4-3) in the ½ final, Belarus Anton Isakau will discover his first Premier League final. Facing him, he will find Iran’s Ghararizadeh, winner (3-2) of Turkey’s Aktas. Before, He had defeated Ivan Kvesic, the reigning world champion (6-4).

Final : Isakau (Blr) vs Ghararizadeh (Ira)

Bronze : Shimada (Jap) vs Poorshab (Ira) and Aktas (Tur) vs Ahmed (Egy)

+84 kg : The favorites out

The reigning world champion, Jonathan Horne, is surprised by Thailand’s Kangtong 3-1 and bows entry. Finalist last year, Mehdi Filali lost in the quarter-final 4-2 against Iran’s finalist Abazari. Which means repechage for the Frenchman.

Semi-finalist, Sajad Ganjzadeh will not defend his title. The Iranian world champion in 2016 loses 4-2 against Georgia’s Arkania.

Final : Abazari (Ira) vs Arkania (Geo)
Bronze : Ganjzadeh (Ira) vs Mahmoud (Egy) and Vodochyts (Blr) vs Filali (Fra)

Male Kata : Quintero and Kiyuna in final

The match between the vice world champion and the world champion will occur again n Sunday in the final. Victorious of their pool with a note 24.92 for the Spaniard and 26.72 for the Japanese, the two Kata stars will meet again on Sunday for the gold medal. Second looking the overall notes but second in his pool behind Kiyuna with a 25.6, Kazumasa Moto will play the bronze.

Finale : Kiyuna (Jap) vs Quintero (Spa)

Bronze : Moto (Jap) vs Horiba (Jap) and Arata (Jap) vs Shimbaba (Jap)

-61 kg : Gwendoline Philippe reaches the final

The 2018 winner of the category reached the final after winning her semifinal against her compatriot Laura Sivert, 10-5. The team world champion will go and get the bronze on Sunday.In the final, Gwendoline Philippe will meet Egypt's Gianna Lotfy for a rematch of the world championships. The Egyptian wins her semi-final 1-0 against Iran’s Alipourkeshka.

Final : Philippe (Fra) vs Lotfy (Egy)

Bronze : Sivert (Fra) vs  Vasovic (Ser) et Alipourkeshka (Ira) vs Coban (Tur)

-68 kg : Kayo Someya and Elena Quirici for the gold

Kayo Someya, 2012 world champion and Elena Quirici, the reigning European champion, will be competing for gold on Sunday. Winner in the semifinals of Mexico’s Ramos (decision), Kayo Someya is still on top. Facing her, Switzerland’s Elena Quirici has beaten Egypt’s Abdelaziz to join the final. World champion in 2018, Azerbaijan’s Zaretska lost at the 1^st round against China’s Gong (1-0). 

Final : Someya (Jap) vs Quirici (Swi)

Bronze : Ramos (Mex) vs Vizcaino (Spa) and Abdelaziz (Egy) vs Kneer (Ger)

+68 kg: Uekusa vs Garcia, the revenge of Tokyo 

For the second year in a row, Nancy Garcia is in the final of the Open Paris Karate. Winner of  Japan’s Sugimoto (4-0) in the semifinals, the French woman will meet an old acquaintance in the final. In front of her, she will find Ayumi Uekusa. The Japanese World n°1 was beaten last November at home by the Garcia in the final. No doubt that the two girls will give their heart and soul to win gold in Paris. Reigning world champion Eleni Chatzliadou, defeated in the quarter-finals by Iran’s Abbasli, will not be medalist at this Open Paris Karate.

Finale : Garcia (Fra) vs Uekusa (Jap)

Bronze : Sugimoto (Jap) vs Okila (Egy) and Saito (Jap) vs Abbasli (Ira)