Eddy Merckx in thrilling match winner against Kang

SUWON - Frédéric Caudron, still the world's number one, did not manage to tame Korean fighter Dong Koong Kang in the first round of the main event. Eddy Merckx, the new world champion, did it one day later in a bloodcurdling thriller. The Belgian had an amazing endrush with runs of 6 and 5: Kang missed one matchball before Merckx' finish.

The match was very exciting from the start until the end: Merckx won the first set 15-9, lost the next two 15-12, 15-4, won again 15-10 and finally took the match, 15-14.
 
With that world class match, Merckx joined the best eight of the tournament, in which he plays against Filippos Kasidokostas, another former world champion.
 
On two other tables the heat was on in this first day session.
 
Marco Zanetti and Sung-Won Choi faced each other in a high level match, with a lot of tension in the first three sets. The Italian won the first two 15-13 and 15-14, saw his opponent fight back with 15-12, but won the final set 15-2 again.

The loss was bitter for Choi, because of a questionable point in the last set. Choi was sent to his chair on a doubtful miss: the referee saw two cushions instead of three.
 
Dani Sánchez took the win in a five-setter against Korean qualification player Hyun Suk Kim, who resisted until the very end of the match.  Hyun Suk took two times a lead (15-10, 3-15, 15-9), the Spaniard won the two deciding sets in a great apotheosis: 15-9, 15-11.
 
Filippos Kasidokostas defeated Kouji Funaki without being in any trouble: 15-2, 15-8, 15-3.  The Greek played the highest moyenne in this session: 2.045.

Dong Koong Kang, the loser against Merckx, played a slightly higher average than Merckx, the winner: 1.968/1.848.

Dani Sánchez finished with 1.600, Zanetti 1.583.