SEOUL - The third PBA tour, the Hana Card championship, is between four Turks, seven Koreans, three Spaniards, one Belgian and one Vietnamese in the men's draw for the coming days. Four Korean ladies play the semi-finals in the women's tournament. Two European matches are in the spotlight: the two Spaniards David Martinez and Javier Palazon play each other, like Eddy Leppens (Belgium) and Murat Naci Coklu (Turkey).
Dani Sánchez made it to the last sixteen for the first time since his start in the PBA, but went on the rack in that round against still-unknown Korean Yeong-hun Lee, who finished it off with a lucky shot at 2-2 in sets: 11-7. The Spanish former world champion could not yet distinguish himself, where Semih Sayginer did triumph in a PBA tournament on his debut. The Spaniards in the last 16 are David Zapata, David Martinez and Javier Palazon, while the Turks are Lütfi Cenet, Semih Sayginer, Murat Naci Coklu and Birol Uymaz.
Sung-won Choi and Choong-bok Lee, two of the well-known Koreans, again failed to make it through the first round. David Zapata, David Martinez, Eddy Leppens, Semih Sayginer, Javier Palazon and Birol Uymaz are winners of earlier PBA tournament at the last 16.
Javier Palazon hit another jackpot in the first set of 15 to be rewarded with the Perfect Q Award of 10,000 euros, which he won for the third time.
The matches at the men's last 16 (Korean time):
15.30:
Dong-jun Park-Lütfi Cenet
Sang-dae Lee-Do-young Ko
David Zapata-Yeong-hun Lee
Javier Palazon-David Martinez
20.30:
Jae-guen Kim-Phuong Linh Nguyen.
Murat Naci Coklu-Eddy Leppens
23.00:
Semih Sayginer-Jong-joo Lee
Tae-jun Oh-Birol Uymaz
In the women, four Korean ladies are left for the semi-finals. Three Japanese women, Orie Hida, Natsumi Higashiuchi and Ayako Sakay were eliminated in the round with the best 16. Semi-finals:
Min-joo Baek-Eun-yeong Jung
Se-yeon Kim-Mi-rae Lee (picture).
The tournament is played for the first time at the new Kintex PBA Stadium.
Javier Palazon, one more Perfect Q for 7.000 euro
Korean top lady Mi-rae Lee.