ANKARA - The podium at a World Cup is almost an unknown place for Jung Han Heo, but finally the Korean was could cheer again this Saturday in Ankara. The 47-year-old Korean won the three cushion final against 28-year-old Vietnamese Phuong Vinh Bao. It had been from 2016 since Heo had won his first and only World Cup so far, when he won the final against Dick Jaspers in El Gouna. The final in the Turkish capital lacked excitement, because Bao, the reigning world champion, succumbed to the tension in the final after a fantastic run-up to that final (50-31 in 26/25). Jung Han Heo seized his chance after first beating German Martin Horn in the semifinals (50-37 in 34) and in the quarterfinals playing another strong Vietnamese, Quyet Chien Tran, out of the World Cup (50-39 in 24). The Korean success follows the string of victories by Vietnam, the other major billiard country in Asia that has shot up so much in recent years.
Jung Han Heo belongs to the great generation of Koreans with Sung-Won Choi, Dong Koong Kang and later Jae Ho Cho and Haeng Jik. The last World Cup was won by Myung Woo Cho in 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Haeng Jik Kim won three tournaments so far. Former Korean and American, Sang Chun Lee, was the frontrunner with a total of 5 wins in the 1990’s.
In the final, Jung Han Heo made the difference with Bao around the 20th inning in a phase where the Vietnamese was powerless to do what he is so good at: making high runs. Heo subdued the world champion with short, vicious attacks, to which Bao found no answer. The Vietnamese played 2,268 on average in all his previous matches, by far the highest of any player, but struggled only in the final with a sudden relapse.
Jung Han Heo rises to 11th and 12th place in the Players Ranking and Events Ranking due to the win, both of which are now led by Quyet Chien Tran: once ahead of Dick Jaspers and Myung Woo Cho, once ahead of Jun Tae Kim and Jaspers.
Jung Han Heo shows his joy after he won the final match
The World Cup podium in Ankara
The full stands seeing Jung Han Heo attacking for the victory
Jung Han Heo, better of Bao in the golden match
Phuong Vinh Bao, fantastic World Cup, not on his best in the final
Semifinals
Phuong Vinh Bao-Sameh Sidhom 50-28 in 22
The Vietnamese is getting into the finals and seems to be getting better by every match. Sameh Sidhom, who after his previous final in a World Cup, is also experiencing that, is now missing the finishing touch. The dreaded Bao, with his many high runs in this World Cup, already makes an 8 in the second inning, but Sidhom can answer with 9 and 5 for a 16-13 lead. The match goes to a lesser part, then Bao finds his rhythm again with a run of 7 (33-20 in 14) and finishes with 5, 5 and 4. Sidhom can't pull off a final sprint: 50-28 in 22 (2,272/1,272).
Jung Han Heo- Martin Horn 50-37 in 33
Martin Horn's poor start breaks him later in the match against Jung Han Heo. The German starts with 3 times 1 carom in the first ten innings and falls behind 17-3. Only then does Horn get the inspiration and feeling to score. He comes back by 7 and a few innings later 5 even at 25-17 and sees a new perspective. The match does not get really high as the tension rises. Jung Han Heo lacks the real power to decide, Horn continues to chase at too slow a pace. The final stage is for the Korean, who goes 4, 1 and 6 to win: 50-37 in 34 (1,470/1,121).
The semi final between Bao and Sidhom
The semi final between Horn and Heo
World Cup review:
The battlefield of the preliminary rounds is already claiming some unusual victims. Frédéric Caudron is first after leading the rankings for two days. However, the Belgian ex-PBA pro, is eliminated by Lukas Stamm, the German who wins 35-34 over Caudron. On the fourth day of the qualifications, Burak Hashas, who is now leaving for the PBA, Roland Forthomme and Pierre Soumagne also are thrown out of the World Cup and two Dutch sub top players have to go home: Jeffrey Jorissen and Jean Paul de Bruijn.
The preliminary rounds are already good for high runs: Lukas Stamm 15, Jeffrey Jorissen 15, Kim Le Hoang 15, Turgay Orak 14.
The main draw with 32 starts with a little luck for Dick Jaspers (going on in the groups of four with 3 match points) and Marco Zanetti (going on with 3 points thanks to the draw of Kokkoris and Orak). The curtain falls already in that first, tough group phase for Torbjörn Blomdahl Myung Woo Cho, Eddy Merckx, Jun Tae Kim, Jérémy Bury and Ruben Legazpi. Therefore, the leader of the Players Ranking, Korean Jun Tae Kim, already disappears from the tournament.
Jung Han Heo immediately can beat Dick Jaspers in the first knockouts with the best 16 by 50-30 in 19. Two brothers Karakurt, Omer and Berkay, the last two Turks in the Turkish World Cup, curiously win in that round: both 50-49. Omer does so against Haeng Jik Kim, Berkay against Nikos Polychronopoulos.
In the round following (best 8), the final point lies for the Karakurts. Bao beats Omer 50-35 in 20, Sidhom beats Bertkay 50-29 in 29. Martin Horn wins against Marco Zanetti, Jung Han Heo against Quyet Chien Tran. That all leads to the semifinals: Bao-Sidhom, Heo-Horn and to Jung Han Heo's eventual victory.
The final ranking:
1 Jung Han Heo 14-1,839-10
2 Phuong Vinh Bao 12-2,090-17
3 Sameh Sidhom 9-1,610-11
3 Martin Horn 8-1,715-12
5 Quyet Chien Tran 6-1,893-10
6 Omer Karakurt 6-1,511-10
7 Berkay Karakurt 6-1,303-12
8 Marco Zanetti 5-1,821-11
9 Peter Ceulemans 6-1,447-12
10 Nikos Polychronopoulos 5-1,522-11
11 Tayfun Tasdemir 4-2,102-12
12 Haeng Jik Kim 4-1,728-12
13 Thanh Luc Tran 4-1,644-8
14 Hong Chiem Thai 4-1,211-9
15 Dick Jaspers 3-1,972-12
16 Tolgahan Kiraz 3-1,484-11