Alexander Salazar the best in average in Seoul

SEOUL - Two Koreans from a previous era are back in the World Cup, dominating the first preliminary rounds in Seoul. Chi Yeon Cho was second at the 2015 Asian championship following Haeng Jik Kim and ahead of Choong Bok Lee and Quyet Chien Tran. He appeared in the top ranks as a club owner, but disappeared for some time. In the Seoul World Cup, he was the leader in the rankings on the second day with four match points and 1,363. The other returning top gun is Wan Young Choi, who eliminated Raimon Groot among others by 1.463 on average. The best average was for Alexander Salazar, the top Colombian player who finished third at the 2013 World Championship in Antwerp following Frédéric Caudron and Filippos Kasidokostas: he gathered three match points and 1.714 in his first Seoul appearance.

Hyun Il Song was the top winner in a match against Tarik Yavuz with 30-16 in 11 innings (2.727) and a run of 15. Wan Young Choi outclassed Raymon Groot by 30-11 in 14, Duk Young Park beat Ronny Lindemann with 30-12 in 16, Alexander Salazar played a draw against Hoan Tat Nguyen in 17 innings.

Among the 16 group winners, 11 players finished with 4 match points, Alexander Salazar and Wan Young Choi with 3 match points. The field of 16 winners included Koreans, Turks, one Vietnamese, one German, one Spaniard, one Egyptian, one Italian, one Frenchman and one Colombian.

Dutchman Reggy Brouwers made a 48-hour trip to compete in the World Cup, won his match vs Japanese Tatsuo Arai, but lost narrowly to 14-year-old Korean talent Hyeon Woo Kim. ’’I didn't know he was only 14, but how wonderfully he played and with a such a great stroke. He reminds me to Myung Woo Cho, the world champion,‘’ said the Dutchman.

The group winners on Tuesday:

1. Chi Yeon Cho 4-1,363-5
2. Ataberk Cerkez 4-1,276-6
3. Viet Hoang Minh Thon 4-1,250-6
4. Tom Löwe 4-1,200-7
5. Sergio Jimenez 4-1,200-7
6. Muharrem Peker 4-1,176-8
7. Beom Yeol Lee 4-1,153-5
8. Mahmoud Ayman 4-1,090-8
9. Alessio D'Agata 4-1,034-9
10. Serdal Bas 4-0,967-5
11. Hyeon Woo Kim 4-0.909-6
12. Alexander Salazar 3-1,714-5
13. Wan Young Choi 3-1.463-13
14. Maxime Panaia 2-1,526-7
15. Hyun Il Song 2-1,414-15
16. Duk Young Park 2-1,351-7 

Well-known players who did not make it to the next round:

Ronny Lindemann 2-1,294-7

Tobias Bouerdick 2-1,260-7

Ryuuji Umeda 1-0,914-6

Jef Philipoom 2-1,125-6

Birol Uymaz 0-0.958-6 

The groups for Wednesday:

Group A: Ahmet Alp, Duk Young Park, Jose Miguel Soares

Group B: Hyun Il Song, Mehmet Goren, Fatih Korkmaz

Group C: Ji Hun Ahn, Maxime Panaia, Turgay Orak

Group D: Jun Hyuk Son, Dong Ryong Kim, Wan Young Choi

Group E: Alexander Salazar, Hugo Patin, Gurhan Kabak

Group F: Hoan Tat Nguyen, Sung Won Jang, Hyeon Woo Kim

Group G: Arnim Kahofer, Ali Gulbay, Serdal Bas

Group H: Jose Juan Garcia, TTT Nguyen, Alessio D'Agata

Group I: Ja In Kang, David Pennör, Mahmoud Ayman

Group J: Riad Nady, Alain Saeys, Beom Yeoi Lee

Group K: Kevin Vasseur, Myeong Gyu Oh, Muharrem Peker

Group L: Sergio Jimenez, Atsuhi Kiyota, Volkan Cetin

Group M: Sung Il Jeong, Lukas Stamm, Tom Löwe

Group N: Hyeong Kon Kim, Viet Hoang Minh Thon, Claus Maurer

Group O: Van Ly Dao, Ataberk Cerkez, Joey de Kok

Group P: Huberney Cataño, Huub Wilkowski, Chi Yeon Cho.

Korean Chi Yeon Cho topped the day ranking

Wan Young Choi, back from being away

Dutch player Reggy Brouwers with 14-year Korean top talent Hyeon Woo Kim

Young Korean lady Ha Eun Kim couldn't make it to the next sessions