HO CHI MINH - The World Cup in Ho Chi Minh, which has finished the qualifications and is on its way to the main draw, has discovered a new star. The 41-year-old Vietnamese Van Ly Dao (named Ly), who is mainly known so far as a student and also manager of top player Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, has already survived three days in Ho Chi Minh and now even starts in the main tournament. The unknown Vietnamese miraculously escaped elimination after losing to Dutchman Sam van Etten (30-27 in 10, the best match so far) and even beat the Korean wonderboy Myung Woo Cho 40-19 in 29 on the last qualification day.
Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Dao's teacher, says Dao is on his way to a top-15 player in Vietnam, but in the world of three cushion, Dao, who is a strong one cushion player as well, never got further than a 90th place in the Ho Chi Minh City World Cup and a 91st place in the Seoul World Cup. How sensational is it then, that this Vietnamese dark horse is the runner-up in the rankings after the qualifications for the main draw, preceded by Koreans Wan Young Choi (2.051 on average) and Jun Tae Kim (1.777) and followed by famous players like Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Nikos Polychronopoulos and Can Capak.
The last qualification on the way to the final shuffle in 8 groups of 4, showed the tension rising and the averages falling. Van Ly Dao already played a 2.280 =in the preliminaries, now only Wan Young Choi came just over 2 (2.051), all the other group winners and the top three of the runners-up remained below. Roland Forthomme was one of the last survivors after a solid win against Bong Joo Hwang (40-16 in 21), but a chance less loss against Trung Hau Do Nguyen (40-24 in 16). Anyway, because Nguyen only had 8 points against Hwang (40-8 in 16), Forthomme was the lucky group winner. Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, who starts his PBA adventure on 22th of June, had a fabulous final sprint when he was 38-30 down against Jung Sub Kim and went through the finish first with 9 and one inning later with 1.
The 4-point winners were Wan Young Choi (4, 2,051, 11), Jun Tae Kim (4, 1,777, 9), Van Ly Dao (4, 1,666, 8), Nguyen Quoc Nguyen (4, 1. 632, 9), Nikos Polychronopoulos (4, 1,568, 9), Can Capak (4, 1,509, 10), Chang Hoon Seo (4, 1,454, 7) and Sung Won Choi (4, 1,290, 5). Ngoc Tri Nguyen led the 2-point winners with 1.790 ahead of Roland Forthomme with 1.729, Lütfi Cenet with 1.236 and Gerhard Kostistansky with 1.058. Choong Bok Lee (2, 1.921, 10), Bong Joo Hwang (2, 1.513, 10) and Gökhan Salman (2, 1.479, 7) went in as the best three runners-up.
Sung Won Choi went on with a moderate 1.290, Gerhard Kostistansky even with 2 points and 1.058 in the group where Dion Nelin (2, 1.032) and Ronny Lindemann (2, 1.027) missed too many chances. Michael Nilsson was tackled by a terrific Ngoc Tri Nguyen (40-15 in 14) and Choong Bok Lee was beaten by the day's winner Wan Young Choi, but was allowed to enter the main draw as best runner up.
Myung Woo Cho, back from military service, missed the 32-player final by losing to Dao, with Tolgahan Kiraz, Ja In Kang, Dion Nelin, Michael Nilsson and Jacob Haack Sörensen also missing.
The groups for the last 32:
Group A: Dick Jaspers, Jun Tae Kim, Gökhan Salman, Riad Nady
Group B: Marco Zanetti, Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, Wan Young Choi, Bong Joo Hwang
Group C: Quyet Chien Tran, Tran Thanh Tu Nguyen, Jung Han Heo, Choong Bok Lee
Group D: Dani Sánchez, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Van Ly Dao, Gerhard Kostistansky
Group E: Sameh Sidhom, Semih Sayginer, Lütfi Cenet, Nguyen Quoc Nguyen
Group F: Haeng Jik Kim, Roland Forthomme, Martin Horn, Nikos Polychronopoulos
Group G: Tayfun Tasdemir, Ngoc Tri Nguyen, Murat Naci Coklu, Can Capak
Group H: Eddy Merckx, Jérémy Bury, Chang Hoon Seo, Sung Won Choi.
Tomorrow, Friday, the first games start at 10.00 Vietnamese time (5.00 in Western Europe). Dick Jaspers launches his World Cup in the first session against Riad Nady, Marco Zanetti against Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, Quyet Chien Tran against Tran Thanh Tu Nguyen and Dani Sánchez against Torbjörn Blomdahl.
Korean Wan Young Choi, the best on the last qualification day
Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, managed by Dao, survived by a final 9 sprint
Roland Forthomme, an excellent win and a chance less loss: still moving up to the final 32
Nikos Polychronopoulos to one of the top spots, now facing Haeng Jik Kim, Martin Horn and Roland Forthomme in the main draw
Koreans wonderboy Myung Woo Cho missed the qualification for the last 32