3-Cushion
SEOUL - The best score in the field of 32 players in the first qualifications was for Dion Nelin with 119 points and a 2,800 average. Two last groups were played this Friday morning in the Survival 3 Cushion Masters in Seoul. The eight group winners are now known and move up directly to the final rounds together with four best numbers. The matches in the so-called consolation rounds have been started now for four places in the next round to qualify. Dion Nelin placed himself directly in the last group together with Torbjörn Blomdahl. The two Scandinavians join the other group winners Dae-Hyun Jang, Jae-Ho Cho, Eddy Merckx, Roland Forthomme, Hyung-Mook Lim and Sung-Won Choi.
These eight players will spring into action again on Saturday, like the four best numbers two: Sameh Sidhom, Dani Sánchez, Wan-Young Choi and Ji-Hun Ahn. Four groups of four numbers three and four in the first qualifying rounds play today in the first consolation round with sixteen players.
Dion Nelin played in a flow early this morning in the match in which he faced Ji-Hun Ahn, Tayfun Tasdemir and Jérémy Bury. The Korean was the best in Nelin's shadow, the fast-scoring Dane started with 5, 4 and 9 in the 5th inning and ended with 6, 4 and 4. The match was briefly stopped by a fierce discussion: Jérémy Bury played the wrong ball, Ji-Hun Ahn then did the same. The referee decided what to happen and re-started the match. The Korean Ahn became second ahead of Tasdemir and Bury.
Torbjörn Blomdahl decided the final group in his favor after a slightly better sprint than the Korean Wan Young Choi. Dick Jaspers made too many misses throughout the match and remained outside the battle. In-Won Kang finished on the same score as the Dutchman at places three and four.
The final ranking in Group G:
1 Dion Nelin 119-2,800-9
2 Ji-Hun Ahn 63-2,000-5
3 Tayfun Tasdemir 32-1,384-5
4 Jérémy Bury 26-1,266-5
The final score in Group H:
1 Torbjörn Blomdahl 78-1,705-6
2 Wan Young Choi 70-1,588-7
3 Dick Jaspers 46-1,235-5
4 In-Won Kang 46-1,235-4.
The first consolation matches for four places in the second round of losers are composed as follows (Korean times):
16.30: Heo-Tasdemir-MW Cho-HD Kim
18.30: Polychronopoulos-Coklu-IW Kang-SH Yoon
20.30: HS Kim-Tran-MS Kim-Bury
22.30: Cenet-Jaspers-Zanetti-CH Seo.
The numbers 1 and 2 in this consolation round move up to a last round with 12 (met Nguyen, Klompenhouwer, Sayginer en HJ Kim).
Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Therese Klompenhouwer, Semih Sayginer and HaengJik Kim will take action on Saturday with the winners of the first second chance matches in three groups of four, of whom the group winners and 1 best second will advance to the final with sixteen.
The discussion between Nelin, Bury and Ahn after two of them shot the wrong ball
Torbjörn Blomdahl, the best in his flight and the last of 8 group winners