BUDAPEST, March 28 (Xinhua) -- 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 on Saturday, 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.

Olympic champion Oh Sang-uk of South Korea was eliminated in the round of 16 and placed 12th, while Tunisia's Olympic silver medalist Fares Ferjani failed to advance to the last 16.

China sent a 12-member squad to the individual event, with Shen Chenpeng being eliminated in the round of 32, while Yin Xiaopeng and Luo Shaotong both exited in the round of 64.

"I had winning chances during the competition, but I missed a few important points in the last moment," Shen said.

The men's team event is scheduled for Sunday, featuring 24 teams. China will face Bulgaria in the first round. ■