SHANGHAI, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Individual neutral athlete Kirill Borodachev captured the men's title at the 2026 Shanghai Foil Grand Prix on Sunday, while Italy's Martina Batini reigned supreme in the women's event.

Borodachev, the world No. 3, defeated Poland's Andrzej Rzadkowski 15-9 in the men's final to claim his first Grand Prix gold, adding to a silver medal he earned at the Grand Prix in Lima, Peru, in March this year.

In the women's final, 37-year-old Batini, also ranked world No. 3, edged Japan's Yuka Ueno 15-11 to capture her fifth career medal in Shanghai. Batini previously won gold in 2017, silver in 2023, and bronze in 2016 and 2025. For Ueno, the world No. 4, the runner-up finish marked her first Grand Prix medal.

The day also witnessed a major upset as women's world No. 1 Lee Kiefer of the United States suffered a shock 15-13 loss to Japan's Karin Miyawaki, failing to even reach the last 32.

Chinese fencers faced a tough outing. Eight women and four men competed in the main draw, but only Zeng Zhaoran advanced past the round of 32 in the men's event.

The 21-year-old delivered a stunning 15-12 victory over 2023 world champion Tommaso Marini of Italy, before then beating Hong Kong, China's Ho Shing Him Harris 15-9 to reach the last eight, which matched his best result at the Shanghai Grand Prix.

In the quarterfinal against Spain's Carlos Llavador, Zeng stormed to a 4-0 lead and later held a 14-12 advantage, needing just one more touch to secure a medal. However, he conceded three consecutive points and lost 15-14, falling short of the semifinal.

"I kept a very calm mindset early in quarterfinal, just taking it one point at a time," Zeng said. "But when I got to 14, I realized I had never won an individual medal at a senior international event. This was my chance. Leading by two, I went for a big hit. The more I wanted it, the bigger the hole I left open. It's a real pity."

Looking ahead to the Asian Championships, World Championships and the Asian Games later this year, Zeng set a clear goal: "At the very least, I want to win a medal, to raise the national flag at a major international competition, and ideally to hear our national anthem."

On the women's side, Huang Qianqian, Fu Yingying and Zhang Siqi reached the last 32, but all lost their bouts. Zhang, 18, was defeated by Japan's 26-year-old Sumire Tsuji.

"Tsuji has much more experience than I do and has been in many more competitions. She figured out a way to counter me as the match went on," Zhang said. "As a young athlete, I hope to get more opportunities to compete, grow quickly, and deliver good results in upcoming major events." ■