Japan's Soichi Hashimoto, left, claimed his fourth Judo World Masters title with victory against Tajikistan's Behruzi Khojazoda ©IJF

Japan's Soichi Hashimoto won his fourth Judo World Masters title on the second day of competition in Budapest, taking his country's medal haul up to four.

Top seed Hidayat Heydarov of Azerbaijan lost in his second round match against Georgia's Giorgi Terashvili after picking up three penalties, opening up the men's under-73 kilograms event at the Papp László Sports Arena.

Hashimoto beat last year's world champion Tsend-Ochiryn Tsogtbaatar of Mongolia in the first round, and progressed to the final against Tajikistan's Behruzi Khojazoda.

He forced his opponent into three penalties which added to his Masters titles won in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Petru Pelivan of Moldova earned the first bronze medal against Uzbekistan's Murodjon Yuldoshev, before Terashvili lost to his compatriot Lasha Shavdatuashvili in the other tie for joint-third.

The four gold medals were shared between four countries on day two.

Belgium's Matthias Casse claimed his second Masters gold with victory in the men's under-81kg against Guilherme Schimidt of Brazil, who had surprised back-to-back world champion and Masters winner Tato Grigalashvili of Georgia in the semi-finals.

Grigalashvili had to settle for bronze by beating Kenya Kohara of Japan, but a Japanese judoka did finish on the podium as Takanori Nagase overcame Azerbaijan's Saeid Mollaei.

Kosovo's Laura Fazliu, second left, improved on last year's Judo World Masters silver with gold in Hungary ©IJF
Kosovo's Laura Fazliu, second left, improved on last year's Judo World Masters silver with gold in Hungary ©IJF

Olympic bronze medallist Sanne van Dijke of The Netherlands triumphed in the women's under-70kg after a previous Masters silver and bronze.

She beat Greece's world silver medallist Elisavet Teltsidou to top the podium.

Croatia's Lara Cvjetko earned bronze at the expense of Spain's Ai Tsunoda Roustant, and Saki Niizoe of Japan finished joint-third with victory against Austria's Michaela Polleres.

Kosovo's Laura Fazliu was the day's other winner, improving on her silver in Jerusalem at the Masters last year in the women's under-63kg division.

She triumphed in the final against Miku Takaichi of Japan.

Megumi Horikawa doubled the Japanese podium presence by beating Gili Sharir of Israel, and was joined in earning bronze by the Olympic champion Clarisse Agbegnenou of France who recovered from losing to Takaichi by overcoming Czech Republic's Renata Zachová.

The Hungary Masters is set to conclude tomorrow with the men's under-90kg, under-100kg and over-100kg and the women's under-78kg and over-78kg competitions.