BAKU, Azerbaijan - USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser plopped down on a practice mat late Monday afternoon and shook his head in frustration.

He was still trying to figure out what had just happened in the semifinals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. as the World Championships kicked off at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.

Three very questionable calls went against World bronze medalist Harry Lester of the U.S. in his controversial semifinal loss to Olympic champion Farid Mansurov of Azerbaijan.

The succession of puzzling calls by the officials sent Lester into the wrestlebacks after a 6-3, 4-1 setback to Mansurov in front of an energetic crowd of 3,000 boisterous fans.

"We're in Azerbaijan and he's wrestling Azerbaijan," Fraser said when asked about the calls. "Unfortunately in our sport, they are going to do everything they can to try and help the Azerbaijan kid get into the finals. So every gray area and every close call is going to go their way, which did and then some. Harry wrestled a brave match and fought hard. The Azerbaijan kid wrestled pretty well too, I just wish they would call it a little more fairly."

Lester (Akron, Ohio/Gator WC) can still come back and win a bronze medal as can past World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). Durlacher lost a third-round match to 2006 World champion Hamid Sourian of Iran, but earned a right to wrestle back after Sourian reached the finals at 55 kg. Sourian beat Durlacher in the semifinals of the 2006 Worlds.

Lester and Durlacher will wrestle back late Monday afternoon. Lester needs to win his next match to capture his second straight World bronze medal. Durlacher needs three more wins to win his second straight World bronze medal. The top eight finishers in each weight class at the Worlds qualify their country for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

First-time World Team member Joe Betterman of the U.S. dropped his first-round match to 2007 European Championships runner-up Stig Andre Berge of Norway at 60 kg/132 lbs. Betterman fell 3-2, 1-1. Betterman was eliminated when Berge lost his next match. The 23-year-old Betterman (Chicago, Ill./USOEC/New York AC) was a late replacement on the U.S. team for 2006 World champion Joe Warren. Betterman was unable to finish in the top eight and did not qualify the weight class for the Olympics. The U.S. still has three other tournaments, including the Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs, where it can qualify the 60 kilo class for the Olympics.

Lester came out aggressively against Mansurov as his vocal, hometown crowd of Azerbaijan fans cheered wildly. Lester backed Mansurov near the edge of the mat and appeared to score on a pushout, but no point was awarded.

The first minute of the match was scoreless before Mansurov scored on a front headlock turn and then Lester immediately responded in a wild flurry where he caught Mansurov on his back near the edge of the mat and nearly pinned him. The clock had reached 30 in the first 30-second period, but the referee mistakenly blew the whistle with Lester still holding Mansurov on his back. Under FILA rules, Lester should have been able to keep working for the fall since there were still 30 more seconds left in the first period.

The wrestlers should have been put in the neutral position after the errant whistle, but instead were put back in par terre with Lester on top. Lester led 3-2 and started the final 30 seconds on top. Lester came out in front to secure a front headlock before Mansurov arched through the hold, flipping Lester and exposing him for a three-point move. That gave Mansurov the first period.

In the final 30 seconds of the second period, with Lester down 4-1, the referee inexplicably blew his whistle before Lester could apply his lock from the top position. That allowed Mansurov to easily break free for an escape. Lester tried desperately to score from his feet, but time ran out as the crowd erupted in the arena.

"I couldn't quite figure out what they were doing there," Fraser said of the third questionable call. "They never even gave Harry a chance to get his lock."

Fraser was puzzled most by the call in the first period.

"Harry had the guy on his back at the end of the first 30-second period, which means you don't stop the match, which means they go on their feet instead of the guy going down," Fraser said. "They weren't supposed to stop the match with the guy on his back, but they stopped the clock incorrectly in my opinion.

"It was a great match with two great wrestlers. It's just a shame that we had three very questionable calls go against us. But we're in Azerbaijan, I guess you have to expect that here."

Greco-Roman action continues tomorrow as Americans T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) take the mat. Dantzler wrestles at 74 kg/163 lbs., Vering competes at 84 kg/185 lbs. while Ruiz is at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Ruiz is a past World bronze medalist while Dantzler and Vering have each taken fifth at the Worlds.