Budapest, March 29 -- William Morrill of the United States edged Italy's Matteo Neri 15-13 to claim title at the 2025-2026 FIE Men's Sabre World Cup here, marking the first World Cup victory of his career.
Few had expected a final between 19-year-old Morrill, ranked 20th in the world, and 61st-ranked Neri, as both started from the qualification rounds and advanced all the way through the title match.
In the final, the two traded leads before Morrill held his nerve in the closing stages to secure victory by two touches. Aron Szilagyi of Hungary and France's Sebastien Patrice shared third place.
The Budapest leg attracted 13 of the world's top 15 fencers, including the gold and silver medalists from the Paris 2024 Olympics, according to Xi...