Moldova's defending champion Daniel Cataraga has reached the final in the 77kg class at the UWW Under-23 World Championships in Bucharest ©UWW

Defending champion Daniel Cataraga reached his second successive final on the opening day of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Under-23 World Championships in Bucharest.

As the Greco-Roman action got the event underway at the Sala Polivalenta Bucharest Sports Hall the Moldova athlete, under-23 world champion at 71 kilograms last year, reached the 77kg final after pinning 2018 world junior silver medallist Sajan Sajan of India in the first period of their semi-final.

The man from Moldova is now due to meet the current European under-23 champion Rajbek Bisultanov of Denmark, who defeated the defending champion at this weight, Fatih Cengiz of Turkey, with a 4-1 decision.

Also advancing to his second Under-23 World Championship final was Zviadi Pataridze of Georgia, who is one step away from adding another title in the 130kg class to add to his three junior world and two cadet world titles.

To earn a spot in the final, the Georgian finished off the 2017 under-23 world bronze medallist Konsta Maeenpaeae of Finland with an 8-0 technical fall in 56 seconds.

Pataridze will seek to improve on his silver-medal finish from last year.

To do so, he will have to defeat the 2016 world junior silver medallist Osman Yıldırım of Turkey.

Zviadi Pataridze of Georgia, Greco-Roman silver medallist at last year's UWW Under-23 World Championships, has reached the final again on the opening day of this year's Championships in Bucharest ©UWW
Zviadi Pataridze of Georgia, Greco-Roman silver medallist at last year's UWW Under-23 World Championships, has reached the final again on the opening day of this year's Championships in Bucharest ©UWW

Securing his second world medal of the year was Nugzari Tsurtsuma of Georgia, winner of bronze at the 2018 Senior World Championships in Budapest two weeks ago.

Tsurtsumia edged out 2012 Cadet World Championship bronze winner Balbai Dordokov of Kyrgyzstan with a 2-1 scoreline.

Waiting for him in the 55kg finals is set to be 2018 Russian champion Vitalii Kabaloev.

In his first world tournament, the Russian eased into the finals after a 9-1 technical fall over 2015 junior world bronze medallist Amangali Bekbolatov of Kazakhstan.

At 63 kg, Katsuaki Endo of Japan beat 2016 world junior bronze medallist Meysam Dalkhani of Iran on a 6-3 scoreline.

The other 63 kg semi-final featured another 6-3 decision as Alexandru Biciu of Moldova silenced the Romanian crowd in defeating home athlete Mihai Mihut, the 2015 world junior bronze medallist.

The 87 kg final will feature 2018 senior Pan American champion Daniel Gregorich of Cuba and Semen Novikov of Ukraine.

Gregorich defeated European under-23 bronze medalilst Gazi Khalilov of Russia 7-1, while Novikov stunned three-time age-group world champion Islam Abbasov of Azerbaijan in an 8-5 decision.