SEOUL - The Korean finalist Chi Yeon Cho in the Survival on Sunday night is at the start of the World Cup in Seoul only two days later. Therese Klompenhouwer secured her eleventh Dutch ladies title on Sunday and boarded a few hours later in Amsterdam for her flight to the World Cup in Seoul. The big tournaments are pouring in thick and fast these days: today, Monday, the sixth World Cup of 2018 has been kicked off, and a new big winner is at stage on Sunday. The location: the Korean national training center Taereung, about 80 kilometres from Seoul airport.
The five previous World Cups were won by Frédéric Caudron in Antalya, Quyet Chien Tran in Ho Chi Minh, Dick Jaspers in Blankenberge, Frédéric Caudron in Porto and Martin Horn in La Baule. After his two victories, Caudron is still ahead of his competitors on the world ranking. Dick Jaspers, who didn't receive ranking points for the win in the Survival, is 50 points down from Caudron, Sayginer is the number three followed by Zanetti and Tran. Caudron is also the number one on the World Cup ranking ahead of Sayginer, Jaspers, Tasdemir and Tran. The winner of the World Cup standings will only be known after the last tournament in Hurghada.
The seeded players in Seoul are Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx, Haeng-Jik Kim, Marco Zanetti, Dick Jaspers, Jung-Han Heo, Sung-Won Choi, Jae-Ho Cho, Murat Naci Coklu, Torbjorn Blomdahl, Sameh Sidhom, Quyet Chien Tran, Dani Sánchez and Nguyen Quoc Nguyen. The three wildcards were given to Pedro Piedrabuena (UMB), Dong Koong Kang and Oh Sung-Uk (organization).
The world ranking is under pressure again: the ranking points of the World Cup in Cheongju 2017 will be removed from the total. Haeng-Jik Kim again, like in La Baule, loses the maximum 80 points, Murat Naci Coklu 54, Dick Jaspers and Lütfi Cenet 38. The players who are just among the top 14 are Torbjörn Blomdahl and Tayfun Tasdemir. The players ready to enter the top are Jérémy Bury (15), Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Dinh Nai Ngo, Dani Sánchez, Eddy Leppens and Nikos Polychronopoulos.
The last qualifying on Thursday is the stage for many strong participants: Semih Sayginer (now 3rd on the world rankings), Tayfun Tasdemir, Dinh Nai Ngo, Eddy Leppens Nikos Polychronopoulos, Hyung-Kon Kim, Lütfi Cenet, David Martinez, Can Capak, Minh Cam Ma, Birol Uymaz, Myung-Woo Cho, Tonny Carlsen, Ahn Vu Duong, Xuan Cuong Ma, Roland Forthomme and Javier Palazón.
On Monday the pre-rounds start for many Koreans and Vietnamese, also the young Spaniard Mario Mercader and the Colombian Mauricio Aquilar. Well-known names on Tuesday are Ronny Lindemann, who was the best player in the Dutch league on Sunday, Carlos Campino, Ahmet Alp, Namiko Hayashi, Savas Bulut, Murat Tüzül, Gülsen Degener, Mehmet Goren and Allan Schröder.
The Dutch World Cup delegation, with Therese Klompenhouwer, Glenn Hofman, Jean Paul de Bruijn and Barry van Beers will come to the arena on Wednesday. Among them are also Filippos Kasidokostas, Robinson Morales, Juan Jose Garcia, Dion Nelin, Kostas Papakonstantinou, Dustin Jäschke, Jae-Guen Kim, Yusuke Mori, Chi Yeon Cho and Duc Anh Chien Nguyen.
Kozoom will broadcast the World Cup for free for all members on Mondays and Tuesday, starting on Wednesday a Premium pass is required.
