HANOI - Dani Sánchez's star is finally shining in the PBA. In his 12th appearance for the Korean professional tour, the 50-year-old Spanish billiard player won the tournament in Hanoi with impressively high averages and sparkled for the first time after his transfer from the UMB to the PBA last year with a 70.000 euros top prize. In the final, Sánchez beat Korean Sang-pil Eom 4-2 in sets, averages 2.586 against 1.679, best run 12. Set scores 15-2, 15-3, 15-6, 13-15, 2-15, 15-6. With his victory, the Spanish four-time UMB world champion joins the Spanish armada in the PBA: the trio of multi-winners with David Martinez, Javier Palazón and Juan David Zapata.
The story remained quiet around Dani Sánchez for a long time after his transition to the PBA. Many billiard fans expected the little Spaniard to dominate there too with tournament victories, but nothing was further from the truth. Sánchez was no shadow of the great billiard player in his first PBA year and was eliminated in the early sessions of all PBA tournaments so far.
He was in the shadow of the Spanish top three, whom he had beaten for years in the Spanish championship, but they adapted to the entourage much faster in the PBA. The big money was not in store for Sánchez as yet, but with the 70,000 euros for the win in Hanoi, the breakthrough has finally come.
The PBA moved to Vietnam for the first time with its two tournaments (men's and women's), where Dani Sánchez's personal team sponsor in Hanoi was also the tournament sponsor. The introduction to Vietnam was huge: many fans welcomed the PBA cycle, TV channels in the new billiard country made a wonderful promotion.
Dani Sánchez ran a wonderful race from the start of the tournament, winning consecutively over Wan seop Lim (3-1, 1,500), Ki-ho Park (3-0, 2. 045), Tac-soo Lim (3-0, 1,800), Dong Koong Kang (3-1, 2,522), Choong Bok Lee (3-0, 2,143), Lütfi Cenet (4-1, 2,000) and finally Sang-pil Eom (4-2, 2,586).
Sang-pil Eom won over Min-gu Kang, Choong Bok Lee and Sung-won Choi in the last stage before the final. Among the Europeans, Semih Sayginer lost in Round 32 to Lütfi Cenet, Burak Hashas in Round 16 to Min-gu Kang, Javier Palazón in Round 8 to Cenet and Eddy Leppens in Round 8 to Min-gu Kang.
Two Korean ladies played the women's final, which featured Ga-young Kim, the undisputed champion with eight wins now in a total of 13 finals. The top prize for the ladies is 40 million Korean won, about 28,000 euros. On a quick count, Ga-young Kim has thus earned around 200,000 euros in five years only with her victories. In this Hanoi Open (SY Bazzar tournament), she lost only 1 set in the final against Se-yeon Kim, whom she beat 4-1, including two 11-0 wins in the last two sets. Ga-young Kim also received the award for the highest average in Round 16, 2.357. Ga-young Kim won over You ram Cha in the semis, Se-yeon Kim was the better of Ayako Sakai.
Dani Sánchez kisses the trophy after his first PBA win
Dani Sänchez among the Spanish armada now in PBA
Ga-young Kim won her 8th PBA tour
Ga-young Kim after shouting after her victory