3-Cushion
LUXOR - The Austrian player Claus Maurer can enjoy a delicious cocktail at the pool from today. Dani Sánchez has snuffled some culture for three days and slowly prepares for the real start of the Luxor World Cup. Peter De Backer, although not in great form, has survived his first day, like Can Capak, who definitely is one of the favourites to reach the main tournament.
The Belgian Nicky Defraeye, playing his first World Cup in Luxor, has survived two days of preliminaries and the Egyptian Hesham Gomaa switched off the light last night after a long, long marathon against the Dutch Wiet Kaethoven.
Farouk Barki, the tournament director, entered the arena this morning very early to wish everyone personally ,,a very good morning'' and had a final control of the eight Gabriels tables. The third day can start, it promises to be a hard battle for the places in the main tournament.
Dani Sánchez, with his friend Ton Smilde, visited the tourist attractions in Luxor for three days. ,,It was so hot, sometimes over forty degrees, that we had to throw cold water over our heads.'' Pedro Piedrabuena mainly used his days for a long sleep after he arrived in Luxor. ,,I travelled 27 hours from New York with stops in London and Cairo'', said the American champion, who received a wildcard for the tournament. The Asian champion HaengJik Kim arrived this morning and had to shake many hands for his 24th birthday.
The most famous players who come to the tables today are Semih Sayginer, Emrullah Basegmez, Vinh Ly The, Arnim Kahofer, Dinh Nai Ngo, Murat Tüzül, Tolgahan Kiraz, Jae Guen Kim, Jean Reverchon, Can Capak, Peter De Backer, Ahmet Alp, Savas Bulut and the world's ladies champion Therese Klompenhouwer.
Semih Sayginer starts his performance with a bump against his country fellowman Birol Uymaz and Spaniard Ricardo Garcia Alarcon. Jean Reverchon had bad luck with the draw: he has to deal with Can Capak, but was already 16-0 down at the break. And after he lost his match, he will face Korean Jae Guen Kim.
Peter De Backer started with a narrow win against Konstantinos Bartsokas and meets Khaled Salem later today. Therese Klompenhouwer plays against the Korean Tae Soo Lim and the Egyptian Medhat Hosny and Arnim Kahofer must deal with two dangerous Turks: Murat Celik and Mulazim Guner.
In the field of 48 players today, twenty are from Turkish origin, seven players from the host country Egypt and six from South Korea. The sixteen group winners advance for the last qualification, in which twelve groups of three remain. The twelve group winners and three best runners-up qualify for the main event: making together fifteen qualifying players, five wild cards and the top twelve of the ranking.
Peter De Backer started his second day with a win.