3-Cushion
SCHILTIGHEIM - The first, glorious winner was Kyung-Roul Kim, the victim was called Dani Sánchez. The Korean showed himself as a true 'Kyung Fu fighter' in the first battle in the Masters finals, his opponent couldn't impress at all and can pack his bags for a quick return to Spain.
Dani Sánchez wasn't looking for excuses after the match he lost without any chances (50-25 in 25 innings). ,,I can only blame myself that I played so poorly,'' he said. ,,I can't really explain what happened, because I came here with a lot of confidence. It is my first time in the Agipi finals and I felt a good form. Two weeks ago I've been to Korea, where they opened a new billiard center with Dani Sánchez tables, but I've practiced there five, six hours every day. How it's possible that I was so bad here? I can't understand it.''
The Spaniard could never impress, not at the start (12-10 behind in 10 innings) and not all when his opponent attacked with a run of 12 in the fifteenth inning. Therefor he led 30-13 at the break.
Kyung-Roul Kim made some other runs of 3, 4, and 6 and then could finish in the 25th inning with three.
Why he played so good and Sánchez could not? Both didn't play any tournaments after the World Cup in Antalya, where Sánchez was very good: he lost in the semifinals against Sung-Won Lee and shone with a run of fifteen against Jérémy Bury.
Kim was outplayed one round before, in the quarterfinals against Frédéeric Caudron. The Korean returned to his homeland, where he is one of the few top players without owning a billiards center.
The imposing, extremely amiable giant among the Korean players, nevertheless has all privileges for practicing hours. He shows more eager than anyone: Kim praciticed ten hours or more per day in recent weeks, said one of the people in his neighbourhoud. ,,He came to Agipi in a great form.''