3-Cushion
HURGHADA - The top ten of the world in the World Cup Hurghada tonight reduced to three players in the top eight. Of them died in the quarterfinals even Martin Horn, who went under an attrition against Adnan Yüksel. The Turkish revelation had a wonderful day: first he switched from Torbjörn Blomdahl, the final evening session, he received the final applause poured over them after 15-14 in the fifth set against Horn.
Kyung-Roul Kim (3-1 victory over Sung Won Choi) and Jeremy Bury (3-0 against Capak Can) remain the only two players in the top ten ranking on the semi-finals. The entire top six missing even after the dramatic developments in the main event.
Martin Horn tonight lost the battle against nerves Adnan Yüksel, although he had begun as the big favorite. He was one of the two players at the final eight who already had won a World Cup. Martin Horn won in Antalya in 2009, Kim Kyung Roul in Antalya in 2010.
Adnan Yüksel showed in his two parties a crafty attacker, who at crucial moments, first against Blomdahl tonight against Horn and his blow hit. The German was in the late evening session the victim, when his opponent made the winning point at 14-14 in a dead silence.
Martin Horn's father Herman couldn't look anymore when the last caroms were made. ,,I've turned thirty years older tonight'', he said, while Yüksel was taken from the room by his Turkish friends.
The Belgians Eddy Leppens and Peter de Backer also played a battle of nerves, in the first part dominated by De Backer. He twice took the lead, but Leppens had a better end rush in the deciding set. It must been said: the man who's often called 'Leppie' by his fans, could have been called 'Lukkie' this night because of a few lucky shots in the final phase.
Jérémy Bury's victory against Can Capak (3-0) was an easy win, he even didn't get the slightest trouble. The Frenchman overwhelmed his opponent in three sets and played with a deadly precision. He will meet certainly more resistance in the semi finals from the Korean Kyung-Roul Kim, who belongs like Bury to the stars of the tournament. Kim won the Korean brothers battle against Sung-Won Choi tonight: 3-1.
The semifinals tomorrow:
Adnan Yüksel-Eddy Leppens, Kyung-Roul Kim-Jérémy Bury. The matches start at 10.00, Premium pass holders can follow them live on Kozoom.