Dick Jaspers, hattrick and hero in Porto

07/13/2024

Published by frits bakker

Dick Jaspers won his fourth World Cup in Porto, his 30th in total

PORTO - Four times in 16 years, Dick Jaspers won the World Cup in Porto. This Saturday, the Dutchman (58) completed his 4th win with a victory over 25-year-old Korean Myung Woo Cho: the final score: 50-35 in 28 innings. Jaspers also won the European Cup for teams twice for FC Porto as the captain and has become a sports hero in the Portuguese city. The Dutchman, a five-time world champion, climbed back to the top spot in the world rankings by his victory in FC Porto's Dragao arena. The world power grab by the Koreans and Vietnamese has been halted. For his 30th win in a World Cup and 75th time being on the podium, Jaspers remained unbeaten, by wins over the best Korean (Myung Woo Cho), his Belgian rival Frédéric Caudron, one Vietnamese, three Turks and one Jordanian. The most appealing, in the final, was almost a walk-over, because Korean wonderboy Cho, as he is often seen, started the match decidedly weak. Jaspers raced to 10-2, 14-3, 24-4 and 27-4 (break) and almost decided the final. The Korean could not live up to the high expectations after two world-class matches in that last top-flight encounter. He showed a glimpse of his class, came from 45-21 and after a run of 9 back to 45-35, then Jaspers put an end to the final: 50-35 in 28.

For the fourth time Jaspers won a World Cup in Porto, the city where he belongs to the top European team with Torbjörn Blomdahl, among others. He won his first World Cup there in 2008. Dick Jaspers is the new leader in the Event Ranking after his victory. He leads with 392 points ahead of Tran, Cho, Kim, Merckx, Horn, Tasdemir and Bao. Frédéric Caudron rose to 35th place due to his podium finish in Porto.

Two major champions faced each other on Saturday for the place in the final: Dick Jaspers won the clash with Frédéric Caudron 50-36 in 22/21 innings. The Dutchman qualified for the battle for gold against Myung Woo Cho. The prestige match between the Dutch and Belgian star player was decided in the closing stages after a final attack by Jaspers. With the run of eight, he ran out from 38-33 to 46-36. Caudron had another chance to fight back, but missed due to a mis cue. Dick Jaspers finished one inning later by 4.

The clash of the lowlands is a snapshot in time. Dick Jaspers was fighting for his top spot in the world rankings and is in great form. Caudron is back in the game, played fantastic preliminary rounds, is visibly still suffering from his recent hip surgery and could not make high runs in the match. Still, fans are looking forward to the encounters between the two great players, both with their own culture, for the time ahead. Jaspers the ever amiable, technically gifted, balanced, correct player. Caudron the headstrong, versatile, virtuoso, sometimes embittered and often complex opposite. Two players with magisterial shot quality, able to rise above themselves, both living optimally for their sport.

The rise of Myung Woo Cho, the other finalist in this World Cup, announced itself in the quarter finals against Jung Han Heo with that great start and top run of 20. That rise in his level continued against Tayfun Tasdemir in the semifinals. The start was still modest as the Turk was quicker off, 18-7. The little Cho unleashed his devils with a first 10 (to 18-17), got out to a 23-22 lead for the first time and was unstoppable thereafter.

From 25-25, the Korean was sovereign and Tasdemir was letting it go. Cho went to 39-27 with another 10, added another 4 and finally finished with 7 for a final score 50-28 in 17 innings. A mighty run-up to the final match.

In summary, it was the World Cup of high runs. Tran Thanh Tu Nguyen set the tone already in the first days with 21, Myung Woo Cho did it in the last eight with 20, Nikos Polychronopoulos scored an 18, Jérémy Bury a 17 and Frédéric Caudron, Berkay Karakurt, Myung Woo Cho and Birol Uymaz a 14.

Frédéric Caudron was the best in three of the four days' preliminary rounds with 2.608, 2.142 and 2.424 on average. On the third day, Huberney Cataño was the best with 1,842. The main draw with 32 started with Tayfun Tasdemir leading the way with 6 match points and 2,204 ahead of Marco Zanetti, Dick Jaspers and Jung Han Heo. That first shuffle had immediate victims with big names: Phuong Vinh Bao, the world champion, Haeng Jik Kim and Jun Tae Kim and Sameh Sidhom.

The round with the best sixteen gave Dick Jaspers and Jung Han Heo as the best with 2,380, Frédéric Caudron prevailed over Eddy Merckx, his compatriot, and Myung Woo Cho over Quyet Chien Tran, the number one ranked player. And also the man with the most World Cup wins in the current field, Torbjörn Blomdahl, went out from the big pack.

Among the best eight, Dick Jaspers and Frédéric Caudron settled with two Vietnamese revelations: TTT Nguyen and Thanh Luc Tran. Myung Woo Cho took revenge on Jung Han Heo for his loss in the session with 32: the youngest Korean shone with a great run of 20. It thus went to the semi-finals with Dick Jaspers, Frédéric Caudron, Myung Woo Cho and Tayfun Tasdemir and finally to the final with Jaspers and Cho.

Dick Jaspers triumphs at the podium