Italian fencer Cassara Andrea, world No.6, outplayed Kleibrink Benjamin of Germany 15-11 on Sunday to take men's foil individual gold of the "Good Luck Beijing" test matches.

Andrea stroke the first point of the final match, but Benjamin, world's No. 5, revenged immediately and kept the lead till the Italian managed to catch up at 5-5.

The neck-and-neck race then saw another draw at 10-10. The remaining part of the fight turned out to be a showcase for Andrea, while his frustrated German rival lit up the ticking flash on his headset for once only.

"I'm pleased with my performance today, but it is pitiful that I have missed qulification for the Beijing Olympics," said Andrea after the match.

Of the 12 fencing categories, men's foil team and women's epee team will not be included in the 2008 Olympics which will only allocate ten gold medals for fencers.

In the bronze medal match, another Italian Baldini Andrea defeated Cheremisinov Alexey of Russia 15-8.

Over 60 fencers fought at Sunday's event, held at China's newly-built fencing hall as test runs prior to the August Olympics. The fencing hall, adjacent to the main Olympic stadium the "bird's nest, " will also be venue to the fencing events of the Olympic Games.

The three-day test matches also included the 2008 FIE World Championships held in the previous two days, featuring men's foil team and women's epee team respectively.

On the same piste two days earlier, Andrea's home team Italy triumphed over Germany in the gold medal match of men's foil team event. The Athens Olympics gold medal winner beat world's top seed 45-35 in that encounter.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2008)