PORTO - Portuguese player Rui Costa (53) has won the cup final in his country for the fourth time in his career. In the final round, which sixteen seeded players at the start, Costa defeated Joaquim Torres from Benfica in the final match 3-1.
The tournament was held in the old FC Porto billiard room in the center of town. The World Cup, which is planned from 8 to 14 September this year, will be organized in the new FC Porto stadium: the Estádio Dragão.
The Portuguese cup was played with eight players from the Lisbon area and eight from the Porto area.
Rui Costa, one of the old hands in Portuguese three cushion, said after the final that especially the semi-final against another salty dog, Paulo Andrade, had cost him a lot of blood, sweat and tears. ,,It was a hard fight with a lot of defense,'' said Costa, who lost the first set 15-10 in 11 and won the two other sets 15-6 (14) and 15-12 (20).
In the final against Joaquim Torres, to three winning sets, Costa dominated and won 15-8 (15), 7-15 (12), 15-7 (10) and 15-6 (13).
The cup winner, who turns 54 next week, was twice vice-champion with FC Porto in the European Cup and last year's ninth at the European championships in Brandenburg. He's one of the big favorites for the Portuguese championship next month, which he won three times before.
Joaquim Torres, the number two at the cup battle, eliminated Rui Palhares in the semifinals. The young talent Joao Ferreira lost in the quarterfinals to Paulo Andrade.
The Portuguese ranking after the cup battle:
1 Rui Manuel Costa
2 Joao Ferreira
3 Vasco Gomes
4 Santos Oliveiro
5 Jose Escudeiro
6 Antonio Saramago
7 Fernando Cunha
8 Joaquim Torres.