Ukraine’s Bogdan Nikishin held his nerve to claim the men’s individual épée at the Rio Grand Prix, which doubles as fencing’s Olympic test event ©Getty Images

Ukraine’s Bogdan Nikishin held his nerve to claim the men’s individual épée title at the Rio Grand Prix, which doubles as fencing’s Olympic test event.

The world number 15, a member of the gold medal-winning Ukrainian team at last year’s World Championships in Moscow, staved off a fightback from Switzerland’s Benjamin Steffen to win 15-13 in the final.

The final point of the contest at Carioca Arena 3 was won on a red card issued to Steffen for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

"It’s great that I’ve managed to win the final Grand Prix of the season," said Nikishin.

"This was a rehearsal for the Olympic Games so I have every reason to hope that I’ll perform just as well there."

All of the world’s top 10 had gathered in Rio de Janeiro, with world number one Gauthier Grumier of France looking to build upon his convincing victory in Hungary's capital Budapest last month.

Yet none of them made it to the semi-finals, leaving the field wide open for Nikishin to get his hands on the title.

Bogdan Nikishin beat Switzerland's Benjamin Steffen in the final
Bogdan Nikishin beat Switzerland's Benjamin Steffen in the final ©Getty Images

The 35-year-old accounted for world number eight Daniel Jerent of France and top-ranked Grumier on the way to the final.

In the semi-finals, Nikishin fought back from a two-point deficit to beat Asian champion Park Kyoung-doo of South Korea 14-11.

Steffen, the world number 28, had overcame world number 55 Anatoliy Herey of Ukraine 15-8 in their semi-final and world number two Enrico Garozzo of Italy 15-14 in the quarter-finals.

In other notable results, world number four Max Heinzer of Switzerland was knocked out in the last-64 by compatriot Georg Kuhn, ranked 129 places below him.

Other early casualties from the top 10 included Hungary’s Géza Imre, the reigning world champion, who lost to Germany’s Constantin Boehm in the last-64, and Venezuela’s Rubén Limardo, the London 2012 gold medallist, who fell to world number 31 Sten Priinits of Estonia in the last-32.

The Rio Grand Prix is the first competition to adopt a new cross formation for the pistes, an innovation in the sport designed to provide an improved view of the action for spectators.

The test event is due to continue with the Team World Championships in women’s foil and men’s sabre on Tuesday ad Wednesday (April 26 and 27).