Tyler Graff of the USA in action at the 2019 World Championships. Mark Lundy photo.NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – Tyler Graff (Princeton, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) won his repechage match at 61 kg/134 lbs. at the World Wrestling Championships on Sunday afternoon, and will compete in a bronze-medal match on Sunday nigh.
Graff dominate Mihai Esanu of Moldova in the repechage match, securing a 13-2 technical fall in the second period. Esanu was fifth in the 2017 U23 World Championships.
He had his offense going strong in the first period against Esanu. Graff scored three two-point takedowns and a big four-point toss in the first period, while allowing one arm throw by Esanu, to go to the break with a 10-2 lead. In the second period, he forced a step out and scored a counter takedown to finish off the victory.
Graff advances to a bronze-medal bout against two-time Asian Championships bronze medalist Rahul Aware of India.
Graff had a 2-1 record on Saturday morning. He was beaten in the quarterfinals by 2016 World silver medalist Beka Lomtadze of Georgia, 3-1. When Lomtadze defeated Aware of India in the semifinals, 10-6, he pulled Graff into repechage.
Graff’s two wins on Saturday came with a 10-0 technical fall over Jin Cheol Kim of South Korea and a 7-0 decision over 2019 Asian Championships silver medalist Minghu Liu of China. Graff is competing in his first Senior World Championships.
He will be one of three U.S. wrestlers in the medal rounds on Sunday night. Kyle Dake (Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC) is in a gold-medal match at 79 kg/174 lbs. and Kyle Snyder (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) battles for a bronze medal at 97 kg/213 lbs.
The bronze-medal opponent for Kyle Snyder was also decided during the repechage rounds at 97 kg. 2018 World bronze medalist Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia won his repechage match, and advances to face Snyder for bronze.
The medal-match finals of the last four weight classes of the World Championships are set for 6:00 p.m. on Sunday night. Nur-Sultan is 10 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone. All of the action is live on TrackWrestling.
WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, September 22
U.S. Men's freestyle Group 3 results
61 kg/134 lbs. - Tyler Graff, Princeton, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
WIN Jin Cheol Kim (South Korea), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Minghu Liu (China), 7-0
LOSS Beka Lomtadze (Georgia), 3-1
WIN Mihai Esanu (Moldova), tech fall. 13-2
Bronze medal bout – Vs. Rahul Aware of India.
Other U.S. Men’s freestyle Group 3 results
79 kg/174 lbs. - Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC)
WIN Oibek Nasirov (Kyrgzstan), tech. fall 12-2
WIN Gadzhi Nabiev (Russia), 5-1
WIN Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 6-1
Gold medal bout – Vs. Jabrayil Hasanov (Azerbaijan)
86 kg/189 lbs. - Pat Downey, Cranbury, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
WIN Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (Armenia), tech. fall 11-1
WIN Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland), 8-2
LOSS Ahmed Dudarov (Germany), tech. fall 13-0
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Kyle Snyder, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
WIN Mausam Khatri (India), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), tech. fall 13-3
LOSS Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan), 5-2
Bronze-medal bout – Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia)