VEGHEL - The last World Cup final before the long stop was a match between Dani Sánchez and Dick Jaspers, won by the Spaniard 50-35 in Antalya. That match was in the first World Cup of this year the most wonderful poster as well, with two four times world champions in the arena. Now, in the Dutch World Cup, it was not about world gold, but a battle for a place in the semi-finals. The classic ended in a climax: Sánchez closed the match with high runs in a high degree of perfection: 6, 6 and 12, final score 50-35 in 21 innings. Dick Jaspers, the last player of the home land, could do nothing but watch it on resignedly: ''it was a magnificent final sprint''.
For the highest podium in this World Cup, Dani Sánchez, who after his brilliant sprint had to go to the doping control again very quickly, two Koreans, Jung Han Heo and Jun Tae Kim and the Turk Tayfun Tasdemir will compete on Saturday. The matches on the final day will start tomorrow, Saturday, at 10.30 and 12.30, the final at 15.30. The organization followed with great interest the press conference of the Dutch prime minister, who announced that for example all indoor sports events must close their doors on Saturday at 18.00 hours. The times had already been brought forward earlier in the day. Mr. Farouk Barki, the president of the World Federation and Harry Mathijssen, the chairman of the organization, agreed in the early evening that those times will remain. The semi- finals are Saturday at 10.30 and 12.30, the final at 15.30.
On the final day, no Dutchman will return to the arena at the World Cup. ''I have to blame myself a bit, because I did not handle the shot clock well'', Jaspers commented. ''I must say again that it's a big difference, playing with 30 seconds of time. Of course, I got used to it, but it is still hard. I had some important misses today because of the short time. A pity, but I surely lost against a
Dani Sánchez was at his best at the end of the always tense match between them, with a series of runs Jaspers could not respond to. With that mental strength, Sánchez also had beaten Semih Sayginer earlier in the day in the very last inning, after an amazing catch-up race. Sánchez will play Jun Tae Kim tomorrow, Saturday, in the semi-final (12.30), Jung Han Heo faces Tayfun Tasdemir (10.30).
''I felt a lot of confidence in the last part when I played Jaspers'' Sánchez said. ''Even when I was ad 32 on the score board and I looked up. I thought: why not, why not finish it with 18? I missed one more time, after six, but then I could finish it off. That gave me a great feeling.''
Jeffrey Jorissen had to leave the World Cup after losing in the quarter finals to Tayfun Tasdemir (50-39 in 21 innings). The semi-pro from The Hague, with many fans in the stands in the main event, could not stop the last of the Turks in the tournament. ''I made too many mistakes in this match, my opponent took advantage of that'', the public hero Jorissen candidly admitted. ''It is my ambition now to play many World Cups with this beautiful experience and continue to grow''.
On the day of truth, more famous players disappeared from the stage. Marco Zanetti, struggling with a fragile physical condition, fell in the 'round of sixteen' against Jun Tae Kim. Torbjörn Blomdahl was eliminated against Jung Han Heo (50-36 in 26), who has emerged as a dangerous contender for the final victory. Eddy Merckx was eliminated by Blomdahl, Semih Sayginer by Sánchez and Martin Horn by Sidhom.
The Korean block for the final day faces two seasoned Europeans. Dani Sánchez and to a lesser extent Tayfun Tasdemir have an impressive World Cup history. Jung Han Heo (44) has occupied many high positions in the World Cup cycle in his last years and won one in Hurghada in 2016 in a final against Dick Jaspers. Jun Tae Kim (27) is relatively new to the circuit, but made it to the podium at a World Junior Championship three times as a young guy: in 2011, 2012 and 2015.
Dick Jaspers and his focus on the game in the match with Sánchez
Tayfun Tasdemir in a short discussion with Dutch referee Ad van den Brand during his quarter final match
Korean Jun Tae Kim, with 27 years of age the youngest in the semi finals
Best 16 round
The top match in the session with the best sixteen was the clash between Semih Sayginer and Dani Sánchez. The encounter between two good friends started with a dominant role for the Turk (28-12 ahead at the break), but was turned around by Sánchez when he closed the gap with after a run of 11. The end, with varying chances, was exciting. Sayginer seemed to strike again, Sánchez came back quickly. The first match ball (from this stage on no equalizers) was for the Turk, but Sánchez's counter was a direct hit, good for a 40-39 in 38/37 innings.
That was surely not the best match in terms of quality (1,324 against 1,315). Dick Jaspers was towering far above that in his one-way match against Sung-Won Choi, the only Korean ex-World champion in three cushion. Jaspers and Choi remained in balance until 13-13 in 11, then Jaspers (first a fantastic bankshot) attacked with a run of 12. The first margin was made, later followed by an 8 and in the end by a 7, which put the Korean close to the eventually deficit: 50-21 in 18 (2,777/1,166).
Jeffrey Jorissen had already launched the session by a win against another Korean, Ja In Kang. The second Dutchman had a much better start than his opponent, but had a setback later in the match. The lack of high runs (highest 5) almost broke him. Jorissen, with his fighting spirit, got back on track in time for the 50-44 in 35.
The first knock-out round was the end for Ji Hun Ahn, the 40-year-old revelation of this World Cup, who survived four days and was knocked out in this stage by Tayfun Tasdemir, 50-36 in 40/39. Jung Han Heo on his turn put an end to the illusions of the only Greek in the main draw, Nikos Polychronopoulos, who could not compete with Heo: 50-35 in 25.
Torbjörn Blomdahl had a flawless start against Eddy Merckx (6-1-6), attacked even further to 22-4, but ran into a phase in which he rarely scored in ten innings. The Belgian got his chances, but could not exploit them, even though he came to 40-39 with small runs. The Swede had a last breath for 48-39 and finished 50-43 in 34/33.
Jun Tae Kim was the second winner out of five Koreans with an unexpected success against Marco Zanetti. The middle part was used by Kim for an attack that resulted in 32-17. Zanetti's counter brought back some tension. The lucky ball from the Korean, who led to a run of five in the closing rounds, meant the end of the match for Marco, plagued by his painful shoulder and arm: 50-43 in 30. Sameh Sidhom showed a better form than Martin Horn and put the highest margin of this round on the board after Jaspers: 50-31 in 26.
Dani Sánchez, thrilling match with Sayginer
Semi Sayginer lost a big margin and finally lost the match with Sánchez
Di
Jung Han Heo, surely one of the main contenders
Jeffrey Jorissen, out against Tasdemir after a great World Cup