PORTO - The one and only Netherlands-Belgium match in billiards is coming up as the top event in the Porto World Cup. The long-awaited Jaspers-Caudron will be one of the absolute highlights of the World Cup tournament tomorrow, Saturday, in the Portuguese city. At stake is a place in the final match, the other semi-final being between Turk Tayfun Tasdemir and Korean Myung Woo Cho. Dick Jaspers and Frédéric Caudron were separated for several years because the Belgian left for the Korean PBA league. He returned after a conflict in the Far East, has since played several World Cups and is finally facing Dick Jaspers again in the semi-finals. The match is at 2pm Portuguese time, 3pm in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Tasdemir-Cho match is at 11.30 in Portugal.
Jaspers and Caudron both have impressive records. The Dutchman won five world titles, the Belgian three. Dick Jaspers won 29 World Cups, Frédéric Caudron 21, but the Belgian star was very successful in the PBA in recent years, where he won nine tournaments.
The run-up to that final pitted both players against a Vietnamese opponent in the quarter-finals on Friday night. Dick Jaspers was by far the better player against Than Luc Tran, whom he defeated 50-35 in 33 innings (1.515/1.061 average) after a difficult end of the match. Frédéric Caudron faced the erratic TTT Nguyen, who took a comfortable lead with 16-1, 20-5, 25-9 and 32-17, but from that score Caudron fought his way back into the match with staggered runs of 7, 8, 6, 5 and 4 and finally won et 50-47 in 31 innings (1.612/1.516). The outcome will make many billiard fans look forward to the match which will keep the spirits up: Jaspers-Caudron.
Who the opponent will be for the winner, in the final, should be seen in the match for the other semi-final between Myung Woo Cho and Tayfun Tasdemir. The young Korean's top form is back, so is the flashy style and unprecedented class of the unique talent. Myung Woo Cho (25) briefly had a down period in his still fledgling career, after so lightning fast capturing the No 1 position in the world, but the young Korean is all the way back. On his way to the World Cup podium in Porto, he first beat on Friday Quyet Chien Tran, the world No 1, and later in the quarter-finals, the last World Cup winner Jung Han Heo.
The way he did that was impressive. The little Korean started against Tran with 8, 2 and 14 and took a 24-4 lead in three innings. Jung Han Heo, another Korean, was trounced with just as much bravado in the quarter-finals. Myung Woo Cho started with 1, 5, 0 and 6 and then raced to a 32-9 lead in 5 innings with a run of 20.
For that match against Jung Han Heo, Cho eventually needed 16 innings to win 50-25. Tayfun Tasdemir at the other match table dealt with Martin Horn: after 18-18, Tasdemir ran away from his opponent with 9 and later with another 8 to a safe margin and win 50-29 in 30.
The knock-outs scenario with 16 launched the World Cup in Porto on Friday around noon. The two sessions were dominated by two top sessions in the two séances: Quyet Chien Tran against Myung Woo Cho in the first part, Frédéric Caudron against Eddy Merckx in the final part. In the elimination race, eight positions were up for grabs for the next round.
Myung Woo Cho, the young Korean, took off like a rocket against Quyet Chien Tran, the world number one. The wonderboy opened a super attack with 8, 2 and 14 in the first three innings for a 24-4 margin. His Vietnamese opponent's morale was snapped, as Tran never came close to Cho. The decisive 8 brought Cho to 34, Tran only had two brief convulsions with 6 and 4. The end came 50-29 in 24.
Frédéric Caudron also had a flashy start in his match against Eddy Merckx. With runs of 7 in the first and 10 in the next. Caudron attacked to 18-2 and a few innings later to 20-5. The balls did not roll very fortunately for Merckx, who could not make runs and therefore could not come back in the match. That only happened in the last part, where Merckx got to 26-18, but Caudron ran out 8 to 40-21 moments later at 32-21. The tension did not return to the match as Caudron finished at 50-40 in 31 innings.
Jung Han Heo, winner of the previous World Cup in Ankara, was the best winner in the first session of four matches against Hong Chiem Thai 50-26 in 21/20. Tayfun Tasdemir thundered to a big lead against Jérémy Bury (32-18 and 45-23), the Frenchman fought back with 10 and 5, but capitulated within sight of the finish at 50-40 in 24. Martin Horn and Nikos Polychronopoulos remained close to each other for a long time. The decision fell at 40-35 with the final sprint by the German, who ran out to 50-36 in 24 via 44-36 with a final run of six.
Dick Jaspers was superior as well in his second match against Berkay Karakurt after a scanning phase in the match. The Dutchman found his rhythm at 17-11, 21-15 and 31-16 and exploded on that score with a run of 13, which took him to 44-16, the finish coming at 50-25 in 21.
Two Vietnamese beat two of the European stars in that round with the best 16. Torbjörn Blomdahl was subdued by Thanh Luc Tran after leading 25-22 in the last part with 50-36 in 38. Marco Zanetti suffered the same fate against Tran Thanh Tu Nguyen, after the Italian had led by a better start with 18-10, 25-11 and 30-17. The turnaround in the match came with 5, 7, 5 and 3 in the Vietnamese's last innings, when Zanetti couldn’t score anymore: 50-37 in 27.
Dick Jaspers, the UMB star, finally facing Frédéric Caudron again
Myung Woo Cho has found his amazing form again and is in the semi finals
Tayfun Tasdemir, the brilliant Turkish player, in the semi finals waiting voor Myung Woo Cho