Matthias Casse has the key for a big political solution

A super exciting final block is expected at the fourth day of the World Championships where World champion and world number one Saeid Mollaei of Iran powered into the last four with four wins from four contests including a round four success over Olympic champion Khasan Khalmurzaev (RUS). There were some doubts if Mollaei could fight. He can always fight anyone, but is he allowed to, that is still the big question as in the semi final he will face Belgian prodigy Matthias Casse.

If Muki wins, he might face Israels Sagi Muki in the final and that is obviously an occassion to have Iran and Israel fighting each-other in sports for the first time in years.

European Games champion Matthias Casse claimed pool B with a strong performance winning against renowned competitors like Antonio  Esposito (ITA) and Dominic Ressel, in the quarter final. The German will get a repechage match against Canadian Antoine Valois-Fortier.

Sagi Muki (ISR) was in spectacular form down in pool C as the Israeli charged into the semi-finals.  One of the major surprises though was World silver medallist Fujiwara Sotaro (JPN) who was humbled in his opening contest by Sharofiddin Boltaboev (UZB) by a waza-ari score. Boltaboev progressed into the quarter final but lost to Muki and will face Luka Maisuradze of Georgia in the repechage.

African Championships winner Mohamed Abdelaal (EGY) was the surprise winner of the final pool as he beat Luka Maisuradze (GEO) in the quarter-final. Abdelaal was in the pool with Frank de Wit, who lost to Medickson Del Orbe (DOM) again in his opening match at the worlds in Tokyo. Del Orbe though lost to Abdelaal who also defeated Etienne Briand the second Canadian in the field.

Maisuradze was expected in the last eight but still had to defeat Sami Chouchi of Belgium, who showed to be on form beating Junior World Champion Christian Parlati (ITA). Many nations with two participants today.

Other shockers are the loss of 2017 World Champion Alexander Wieczerzak in pool C with Fujiwara, a total upset by Boltaboev assisted by Ntanatsidis (GRE) and Del Orbe in Pool D.

Now the big question mark is what will happen if Mollaei will face Muki in the final. There is an agreement about fairplay between the IJF and the Iranian IOC to fight anyway and not to forfeit deliberately, not to faint any injury. Mollaei wants to fight but the bigger politics might show its real dark face today, unless judo will win. Follow it in the Final Block starting at 19:00 local time in the Budokan. Holy ground, will it happen there? Matthias Casse can give the solution himself.

The semi final between Sagi Muki and Egyptian Mlohamed Abdelaal will in fact deliver a same kind of problem. Let's see if it still sensitive.