3-Cushion
NEW YORK - The latest and main rivals for Dani Sánchez, the all-winner this year, are not the expected heavyweights Dick Jaspers, Frédéric Caudron, Haeng-Jik Kim, Torbjörn Blomdahl and Eddy Merckx in the New York finals. The last stage in the Carom Cafe is reserved for Semih Sayginer, Eddy Leppens and Jae-Ho Cho to battle it out with the Spanish world Champion. The final day is today (Sunday) in the prestigious Verhoeven Open. Three Europeans and one Korean, are the four players left after a marathon with 138 players.
The semi-finals:
10.00 (American time) Semih Sayginer-Eddy Leppens
12.00: Dani Sánchez-Jae Ho Cho
(live on kozoom.com)
The run-up to the final day, in a field with sixteen knock-out players, was a day with high-levelled matches, lots of excitement until the last points, three times a sizzling 40-39 on the scoreboard and the most remarkable role on this world podium for Semihi Sayginer and Eddy Leppens.
The stage at the end has to deal with a final field without the Vietnamese players, who left the spotlight on Saturday after a strong performance. They were even more in a glory role than their Korean neighbours, but the quarterfinals were the final station for Quyet Chien Tran (against Sánchez), Duc Anh Chien Nguyen (against Sayginer) and in the last sixteen for Minh Cam Ma (against Caudron). Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, the revelation, outplayed Torbjörn Blomdahl in the sixteen, but then was counterd by Sayginer. Minh Cam Ma, returned from 23-11 down against Caudron, was stunning good in the final part, but missed the match ball, a bankshot, to a whisker and allowed Caudron to finish it of in style.
The final players in New York:
Eddy Leppens
What a tremendous tournament is this for Eddy Leppens, the Belgian, who is one of the world's top guns, but still not able to ratify his high class on the global ranking. His star is shining again in New York, just like at the World championship in Bordeaux, where he was in the semi-finals. Seven years ago, Leppens was second in New York behind Marco Zanetti. He was on top of the rankings in the preliminary rounds (twelve match points, 2.211), winner in the Belgian clash with Roland Forthomme (40-34 in 25) in the last sixteen. And in the quarterfinals against Wan Young Choi, the surprising Korean who eliminated his countryman Haeng-Jik Kim, defeated by Leppens' final sprint: 40-39 in 25.
Eddy Leppens
Semih Sayginer
The Turkish pride had his moment of glory in the match against Dick Jaspers in the last sixteen. Sayginer returned twice from being down in the match, ran into the Dutchman to 34-34 and finished with a final six in the 21st inning. The prelims were not that convincing (loss to Sung-Won Choi and Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, however on a high level (1.789). The quarter-finals, with a revenge to Nguyen (40-24 in 23) brought Sayginer back in front, in a semi-final against Leppens.
Semih Sayginer
Dani Sánchez
The Spanish star is back in New York after nine years of being away and is showing his huge reputation. With eight wins in a row (after four at the World Games), the world champion is on his way to continue his mission. Six winnings in the preliminary rounds, being never in danger, with 2.165 of average. The always dangerous and feared Eddy Merckx, overpowered in the last sixteen: 40-30 in a not even spectacular but well-looking match. The friendly Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran, winner against Dong-Koong Kang in the last sixteen with 40-39, was Sánchez' next victim: 40-27 (22) in the quarters. And how striking for New York's event: Sánchez is the only player from the world's top fifteen in the last four.
Jae-Ho Cho
The only one left from the Koreans, after the elimination of Sung-Won Choi, Haeng-Jik Kim, Dong-Koong Kang and Wan Young Choi, is the diminutive, perennial Jae-Ho Cho. Not the most spectacular player to move up to the best sixteen, with one loss against Anh Vu Duong and 1.486 average. Therefore, in the shadow of Sánchez, Leppens and Sayginer, but how strong can he be, Jae-Ho Cho, in a knockout at a big tournament? With a win over Dinh Nai Ngo (40-25 in 25), he shared the leading players. The Vietnamese shone like Sánchez with a 35 in 8. And Cho's next victim was Frédéric Caudron, who survived in the previous round against Ma (40-39), but outplayed by Cho (40-25 in 22). The showdown coming up: what can Jae-Ho Cho do on the final day to stop Sánchez?
The final ranking of the prelim rounds (best sixteen):
1 Frédéric Caudron 12-2.234
2 Dick Jaspers 12-2.211
3 Eddy Leppens 12-2.111
4 Dani Sánchez 12-2.165
5 Dong-Koong Kang 12-1,963
6 Haeng-Jik Kim 12-1.892
7 Duc Anh Chien Nguyen 12-1.591
8 Jae-Ho Cho 10-1.486
9 Dinh Nai Ngo 10-1.943
10 Torbjörn Blomdahl 10-1.821
11 Wan Young Choi 10-1.584
12 Quyet Chien Tran 10-1.571
13 Eddy Merckx 10-1.427
14 Roland Forthomme 8-1.904
15 Semih Sayginer 8-1,789
16 Minh Cam Ma 8-1.623.
In the New York arena, matches are played for the final positions from 5 to 32.
Some remarkable matches so far:
5 to 8:
Roland Forthomme-Haeng-Jik Kim 40-18 in 10/11 innings.
Dick Jaspers-Torbjörn Blomdahl: 40-36 in 21
Until 32:
Martin Horn-William Oh 35-21 in 14
Raymon Groot-Sung-Won Choi 35-33 in 31
Seung Il Jung-Anh Vu Duong 35-13 in 13
Dick Jaspeers and Torbjörn Blomdahl, out for the final rounds
