3-Cushion
LUXOR - Five Koreans were at the tables in a session with eight players. The French ex-Agipi clash between Marco Zanetti and Jérémy Bury turned out into a big fight (winner Bury), but the best player in the first round was the 24-year-old Korean HaengJik Kim, who defeated his countryman, Dong Koong Kang 40-14 in fourteen innings. The amiable Asian champion, who makes an excuse after every win that he was lucky, now said after his match that he probably won't continue to play more World Cups. That's hard for himself and for billiard sport, because the four times junior world champion was on his way to a definitive breakthrough on the international stage.
We must wait almost one year for his return to the billiards. HaengJik Kim was called very soon after the recovery of his brain stroke for a 23-month military service: not in the army itself, but at the town hall's office and the train station. ,,I still have to be there until December of this year, then I'm allowed to travel anywhere. For this World Cup in Luxor I could be free, but normally it is not allowed for me to fly to other countries. I can only show up in tournaments in Korea and the Asian championship.''
The other thing, but the army shouldn't know, is that HaengJik Kim opened an own billiard club in Incheon with ten tables, where he can train every day. The club is mainly run by his father and mother.
The young star went full gas in his first appearance in Luxor. HaengJik started with eleven, continued with eight to 21-3 in four innings, had a short slump, but then but finished it off with seven: 40-14 (2.857 average). It was the top match in the earliest round, later on the day levelled by Torbjörn Blomdahl. Two of the five Koreans (Sung-Won Choi and Kim HaengJik) survived in the first round, Jung Han Heo (by Jean Paul de Bruijn), Hyun Min Seo (by Choi) and Dong Koong Kang were sent home.
Marco Zanetti and Jérémy Bury put up a great batlle. The best start was by far for the Italian, who ran to 30-12 in eleven include a run of nine. The match turned around completely in the second part. ,,The billiard suddenly changed'', Bury said. The Frenchman could adapt better than his opponent, led for the first time at 37-36 and finished in the 27th inning at 40-37.
Jérémy Bury shows his joy after he finished the match against Zanetti.
The European champion made only seven points in sixteen innings after his great start and also missed the equalizer. He commented that he felt tired at the end of the match and could not find the fighting spirit. ,,I had a bad night, with very little sleep, maybe because there are too many things in my mind for the moment. I did my best, but in such a hard race, you need to be in top shape at the end. And I missed to finish it off.''
Sung-Won Choi started with a decent match against Seo, whom he outplayed 40-28 in 20. Jean Paul de Bruijn defeated one of the Korean favorites, Jung Han Heo, in the penalty shootout after the regular match. The two players were in balance during the whole match. The Dutchman missed two good opportunities close to the end at 36-36 and 37-37, but finished ultimately at 40-39 in 25 innings. De Bruijn began the penalty shootout with four, Heo missed after two caroms.
Jean Paul de Bruijn starts the penalty shoot out against Jung Han Heo.