CAIRO - The most exciting match in the first, real round at the World championship three cushion in Cairo, is the encounter between Torbjörn Blomdahl and Marco Zanetti. Two of the top favorites meet each other in the first knockout phase with the 32 qualified players. The first session is at 2 pm on Thursday afternoon, including Jaspers against Abdallah, Merckx against Legazpi and the Turkish clash Tasdemir-Coklu.
Then, followed two hours later, by Choi against Sayginer and at 16.00 with Blomdahl-Zanetti and Sánchez-Nguyen. The day is closed by the final session at 20.00 with Caudron against Kim, the world's number 1 against the number 3.
The first knockout round:
14.00: Jaspers-Abdallah, Merckx-Legazpi, Tasdemir-Coklu, Kang-Sidhom.
16.00: Piedrabuena-Ngo, Carlsen-Seo, Leppens-Mori, Choi-Sayginer.
18.00: Ma-Kahofer, Zanetti-Blomdahl, Nguyen-Sánchez, Heo-Celik.
20.00: Cho-Bury, Duong-Tran, Kasidokostas-Morales, Caudron-Kim.
Marco Zanetti for his first knock-out match: Torbjörn Blomdahl