HO CHI MINH - Spanish billiards, known for Sánchez, Martinez and Zapata, put another new player in the spotlight in the Ho Chi Minh World Cup these days. He is not one of the youngest, Sergio Jimenez (41), also not unknown, but with minor successes only the number 61 in the world rankings. The World Cup in Ho Chi Minh, which started its main tournament this Friday, suddenly discovered Jimenez's big talents. The Spanish player amid the world's greats with a top run of 24 and a phenomenal average over three games: 2.352. With Dick Jaspers, Quyet Chien Tran and a new Vietnamese revelation, Than Tien Le, Jimenez was one of the star players at the start of the 32-player World Cup. It was also a day with a sad incident. Frédéric Caudron left his match when he was 26-16 behind against Sidhom. His wife was harassed in the stands. According to Caudron, as he writes on his facebook, by a son of the Kimchi family, his former sponsor with whom he is fighting a lawsuit. Caudron ends his message with: '“Don't touch my family.”'
Other notable news from Vietnam: the tournament will not be broadcast live tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday. That has been reported by the organizers and by UMB. The reason is that the former country's president Tran Duc Luong has died and a national mourning period has been announced. The matches will later be broadcast on Monday and Tuesday.
Leading roles on this day at the World Cup were already in the preliminary rounds for the totally unknown Nguyen Nhu Le, then just ahead of Sergio Jimenez and yet another Vietnamese, Van Ly Dao with his closing run of 14. But the opening day of the real Vietnamese World Cup with 32 players was most of all the breakthrough of Jimenez, a modest Spanish boy, few times runner-up at a Spanish championship, but otherwise rarely on screen. Until he appeared in the World Cup in Ho Chi Minh this week, gloriously advanced to the main tournament, conquered two Koreans (including world champion Miung Woo Cho) and one Vietnamese. The average over those three games: 2.352. Top run: 24!!!
Sergio Jimenez is by no means an unknown Spaniard. He has never been champion in his country, though he was runner-up 5 times, won 6 Grand Prix tournaments and was number 1 in the rankings for 2 years. '“I haven’t play my normal level in previous World Cups, but what is happening here is not normal either,”' Jimenez confessed. He said about his of 24: ''It was a nice run, everything went well, with no luck. The ball I missed, for 25, was not a difficult position, I was not attentive enough and played the ball into the kiss.''
The high level at this World Cup was already marked by the five average toppers on the first day of play:
Sergio Jimenez 2,352
Dick Jaspers 2,307
Quyet Chien Tran 2,264
Than Tien Lee 2,240
Jeffrey Jorissen 2,062
The overview of the eight groups with four players of whom the best two go to the next round of 16:
Group A:
Dick Jaspers left no doubt from the start as to what mission he came to this World Cup with. The Dutchman beat a former world champion, Japanese Ryuuji Umeda, 40-12 in 13 innings, 3.077 on average. Who will advance to the top 16 will become clear after three sessions. The Vietnamese wonderboy of the preliminaries, Nguyen Nhu Le, opens with a win against Mohamed Abdin, but is beaten by Jaspers 40-27 in 22. Jaspers goes to the maximum win with 2.307 on average. Nguyen Nhu Le and Ryuuji Umeda tie in a thriller in the final match. The Vietnamese goes with Jaspers to the next round with 16.
Standings Group A:
1 Dick Jaspers 6-2.307-12
2 Nguyen Nhu Le 3-1.320-7
3 Ryuuji Umeda 3-1.260-7
4 Mohamed Abdin 0-0.770-6
Group B:
The big star is Sergio Jimenez, the Spaniard who conjures a magisterial 24 from his cue in the fifth inning of his first game against Van Tri Nguyen. At the other table, Myung Woo Cho is a slow starter with a loss against Bong Joo Hwang. The Korean world champion quickly recovers with a whirlwind match against Van Tri Nuyen: 40-9 in 12. Jimenez beats Hwang 40-27 in 17 and is already in the next round after two rounds with 2,424. In the euphoria of the tournament, the Spaniard also beat Myung Woo Cho 40-20 in 18, finishing improbably strong with 2,352. Myung Woo Cho is eliminated with 1 win, a bitter disappointment for the champion.
The standings in Group B:
1 Sergio Jimenez 6-2.352-24
2 Bong Hoo Hwang 4-1.646-4
3 Myung Woo Cho 2-1.740-15
4 Van Tri Nguyen 0-0.714-8
Group C:
Vietnamese Thanh Tien Le thunders out with great strides in a group of death: two wins in 16 innings, 2,500 average, the highest of the whole field after two rounds. The kickstart comes from Jeffrey Jorissen, who puts Eddy Merckx on the rack (40-25 in 15) and see another former world champion, Phuong Vinh Bao, lose to Than Tien Le. Merckx erases his first slip against Bao (40-19 in 22), Thanh Tien Le steps up the tension by beating Jorissen 40-19 in 16. The Vietnamese remains No 1 despite losing against Merckx in his last match (40-32 in 18). The Belgian's attempt to still save his tournament fails: Jeffrey Jorissen plays out against Bao, the 2023 world champion, in 17 innings and finishes above Eddy Merckx in average. The group is the strongest of all eight in averages.
Standings in Group C:
1 Than Tien Lee 4-2,240-14
2 Jeffrey Jorissen 4-2,062-9
3 Eddy Merckx 4-1,909-9
4 Phuong Vinh Bao 0-1,490-8
Group D:
Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran has a flawless start, beating Berkay Karakurt (40-19 in 21) and Haeng Jik Kim (40-32 in 22) for a sovereign lead. Berkay Karakurt makes a bid for the second position, Wan Young Choi is eliminated after two rounds. The decision for the second position falls in the match between Haeng Jik Kim and Berkay Karakurt. The Korean wins 40-37 in 20.
Standings in Group D:
1 Quyet Chien Tran 6-2.264-10
2 Haeng Jik Kim 4-1.696-13
3 Berkay Karakurt 2-1.573-7
4 Wan Young Choi 0-1.370-7
Group E:
Roland Forthomme puts in one of his rare great attacks after he starts against Thanh Luc Tran with 10 zeros in the first 13 innings. The sequel after 30-15 is much stronger and surprises his opponent. With a 9, he paves the way for a close finish and wins 40-39. The Belgian is unleashed and then beats Martin Horn 40-16 in 12, 3.333 average. In his wake, Ruben Legazpi and Martin Horn battle for second position. Forthomme loses his last to Legazpi 40-35 in 23, giving the Spaniard passage to the next round despite Martin Horn's win against Thanh Luc Tran. Forthomme and Legazpi finish equal in match points and average, Forthomme’s high run is higher.
Standings in Group E:
1 Roland Forthomme 4-1.666-13
2 Ruben Legazpi 4-1.666-9
3 Martin Horn 4-1.548-9
4 Thanh Luc Tran 0-1.342-7
Group F:
Dinh Quoc Nguyen does not shy away from big names, beating Glenn Homan (40-34 in 30) and Jung Han Heo in a very mediocre match (40-36 in 37). The Vietnamese thus leads after two games and is qualified. Glenn Hofman, who wins vs Jun Tae Kim 40-34, after starting 8, 6 and 5 and 22-2 in 5 innings), has to decide with Jung Han Heo who will go along to the best 16. Jun Tae Kim, beckoning for a move to the PBA, is noted to be eliminated with 0 out of 2, despite having by far the best average of the foursome. Nguyen is beaten by Jun Tae Kim in his last game, but goes second with Jung Han Heo, the Korean winning over Glenn Hofman in his last by 40-33 in 17 and becoming group winner. Hofman is fourth in the final standings, third in average.
The standings in Group F:
1 Jung Han Heo 4-1,633-9
2 Dinh Quoc Nguyen 4-1,179-6
3 Jun Tae Kim 2-1,796-8
4 Glenn Hofman 2-1,597-8
Group G:
Van Ly Dao has the best chances after two rounds with 4 match points thanks to wins over Jérémy Bury (40-29 in 19) and Tolgahan Kiraz (40-34 in 31). Tayfun Tasdemir trails the Vietnamese despite losing in the Turkish clash against Kiraz. Van Ly goes to maximum win against Tayfun Tasdemir 40-32 in 22. Three players finish behind the Vietnamese with 2 match points, Tasdemir is best in average ahead of Bury and Kiraz.
Standings in Group G:
1 Van Ly Dao 6-1,666-11
2 Tayfun Tasdemir 2-1,560-7
3 Jérémy Bury 2-1,319-7
4 Tolgahan Kiraz 2-1,244-7
Group H:
The top billings between Marco Zanetti and Frédéric Caudron gives the group a spicy affair. The Italian takes off with seven zeros in a row and has to fight to keep up with Caudron: 20 innings, 21-18 for the Belgian. Caudron shakes a 9 from the cue, Zanetti answers with 7, 5 and 4 and leads 34-32. The finale comes with three zeros for Caudron and Zanetti taking his chances: 40-29 in 29. Peter Ceulemans, with his two losses against Sidhom and Caudron, no longer plays a role in the game. Caudron-Sidhom is the game of truth, but the match does not make it to the end due to sad private circumstances in the stands. Marco Zanetti rounds off his group with a draw against Peter Ceulemans and comes second with one win and two draws.
Standings in Group H:
1 Sameh Sidhom 5-2.000-8
2 Marco Zanetti 4-1.739-11
3 Frédéric Caudron 2-1.607-9
4 Peter Ceulemans 1-1.393-8
The round with the best 16 on Saturday:
Jimenez-Tasdemir
Heo-Jorissen
Sidhom-Legazpi
Dao-Hwang
QC Tran-Nguyen
TT Le-Haeng Jik Kim
Forthomme-Zanetti
Jaspers-Nguyen Nhu Le
Sergio Jimenez before his match with the world champion Myung Woo Cho
Dick Jaspers, the world nr. 1 on a mission
Quyet Chien Tran, one of the Vietnamese top guns
Than Tien Lee, leading player ahead of Jorissen