Colombians get ready for clash with the world top

MEDELLIN - The Colombian home crowd , in the Coliseo Yesid Santos, is getting ready for the big clash in the World Cup: eleven Colombians face the world top, starting off today, Thursday. The Heriberto's, Alejandro's, Huberney’s and Carloman’s are ready for a fantastic weekend with lots of highlights at the four billiard tables.

They are with eleven, the Colombians, in the main event for which the draw was done last night. Two of them meet each other: Arley Galeano and Andres Lizarazo.

Top billings in the first knockout stage are: Filippos Kasidokostas against Dong Koong Kang, two luminaries at the World championships in Antwerp. Frédéric Caudron against Glenn Hoffman, two top three players at the European championship. Dick Jaspers vs Roland Forthomme and Tayfun Tasdemir against Jae Ho Cho.

The most known absentees: Dani Sánchez, who had to interrupt his trip to Colombia by a medical problem, Choong-Bok Lee, Javier Palazón and Daniel Morales, who couldn’t pass the final qualifying round and were not even in top five of reserves to join the field in the main tournament.

WCs star player Alexander Salazar (bronze medal in Antwerp) was the best 36 qualifiers, yesterday, especially with his performance in the first match against Ronald Otavo: 40-4 in 15, run of 13, 2.162 average over two matces.

Belgian Eddy Leppens sparkled as he usually does on his way to the main event, with 1.702 and also thirteen run. Heriberto Aristizabal, Tayfun Tasdemir and Arley Galeano complete the top five.

Nine Colombians, three of them through the back door, survived the last selection round, two Belgians, two Dutchmen, one Turk, one Frenchman and one Ecuadorian.

Ten players made it to the full match points, Huberney Catano recorded a win and a draw and Luis Aveiga won his group by average: three players finished on two match points: Aveiga, Choong-Bok Lee and Apostolos Balogiannis.

Jean Paul de Bruijn, after an excellent start and a loss against Alejandro Piza in the second match, reached the main event with Carloman Ortiz, both 1.500 average and together with Andres Lizarazo, Hyung Bum Hwang and Luis Martinez in top five on the second winners list.

The bell for the first round rings at 12.00 Colombian time (18.00 European time, the next matches at 14.00, 16.00 and 18.00.

All matces will be broadcast live for Premium pass holders on kozoom.com.

The matches for the 1/16th finals:

12.00 :
Torbjörn Blomdahl - Alejandro Piza
Heriberto Aristizabal – Hyung Bum Hwang
Tayfun Tasdemir - Jae Ho Cho
Sung Wong Choi - Henry Diaz

14.00:
Murat Naci Coklu - Carloman Ortiz
Kyung-Roul Kim - Huberney Catano
Dong Koong Kang - Filippos Kasidokostas
Marco Zanetti - Cesar Garzon

16.00:
Jeremy Bury - Alex Lopera
Lütfi Cenet - Luis Aveiga
Eddy Merckx - Pierre Soumagne
Eddy Leppens - Luis Martinez

18.00:
Dick Jaspers - Roland Forthomme
Alexander Salazar - Jean Paul de Bruijn
Arley Galeano - Andres Lizarazo
Frédéric Caudron - Glenn Hoffman.