Kuznetsov, a World Championships relay silver medallist, finished qualifying with a score of 1,131 points to progress to the final in emphatic fashion.

Britain's Joseph Choong and South Korea's Jun Woong-tae, silver and bronze medallists, respectively, at the 2019 World Championships, are also through.

Choong and Jun both scored 1,118 points to secure a place in Saturday's (April 10) final.

Ireland's Arthur Lanigan-O'Keeffe also impressed, amassing 1,129 points, while Thomas Toolis guaranteed Britain another finalist on 1,128 points.

The event, the first of two back-to-back World Cups to be held in Sofia in a competition calendar condensed by the UIPM because of the coronavirus pandemic, is due to continue with the women's final tomorrow.

The men's final is scheduled for the following day before the event in the Bulgarian capital concludes with a mixed relay on Sunday (April 11).