SHARM EL SHEIKH - The long reign of King Torbjörn Blomdahl is over. The Swedish world champion in three cushion since 1 December 2019 was thrown from his throne in the early Thursday evening in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, by Eddy Merckx, who is one of his candidate successors. The 59-year-old, six-time titleholder Blomdahl enjoyed his title for 739 days due to the COVID stop. Two former champions, Dani Sánchez and Sung-won Choi, were also eliminated on Thursday, one day later than the last World Cup winner Semih Sayginer. And another salient detail: of the Korean contenders for world gold, only two players are left.
The hunt for the new title is on for at least a dozen world class contenders. Marco Zanetti and Tayfun Tasdemir were the best winners on the first day of the knock-outs with 50 in 14 and 50 in 17 innings. Dick Jaspers ruled over Haeng Jik Kim, Martin Horn over Dani Sánchez with a breakaway on 20-20 (7 and 5 to 32-20) and finally 50-47 in 31. Two Colombians are still among the best sixteen, three Turks, two Belgians and two Germans. The battle for the title is open, there are some wonderful posters on the agenda for this Friday.
The uppercut that Eddy Merckx delivered to the reigning champion on Thursday was one of the most striking acts of this match day. The small, erratic Belgian gave the impression of not being in top form for some weeks, but facing Blomdahl, Merckx was the killer again who is on his very best in top games. He dominated the whole match, leading 22-14, 35-15 and, despite a last sprint by the Swede (run 9), flashed over the finish line as a stunning winner: 50-32 in 20/19. Two other strong winners also came to the fore. Marco Zanetti's injury does not seem to prevent him from competing with the world's best in this setting. The Italian maestro, plagued by a sore upper arm, was rather unfortunate to be thrown out of the World Cup by Jaspers, but demonstrated a superior form against Rui Costa, the Portuguese who with 15 has the best run for now, but against the Italian, in the whole match, scored only 14 points in 14 innings: 50-14. And no doubt: Martin Horn, among others, is ready to shine at this World championship.
The most important conclusion on the first match day in the knockouts with 32 players? Marco Zanetti the best winner, Dick Jaspers who triumphed over a feared competitor (Haeng Jik Kim, 50-40 in 28), Tayfun Tasdemir who took revenge against the again strong playing Riad Nady for the elimination of Semih Sayginer (50-36 in 17). The Colombian Mauricio Gutierrez, who after Sayginer also sent Korean Heo home (50-46 in 47), Choong Bok Lee, who keeps surprising everyone and now defeated Sung-won Choi, an illustrious fellow countryman, 50-36 in 30. And Ronny Lindemann, who beat Nikos Polychronopoulos (50-30 in 32) and is now the second German, together with Martin Horn, usually his teammate at the World Championships in Vierssen, to reach the top sixteen of the World championships.
But also a highlight so far: how fantastic it is to see the resounding name Ceulemans prominently displayed again on the scoreboards at a World championship. The grandson of the most celebrated billiard player ever, Peter Ceulemans, already astonished with his performance in the World Cup and is now a high-flyer in the World Championship as well. The double success against Jaspers (a win and a draw) and the good averages taste for more: Ceulemans was a whole match better than Dion Nelin: 8-0, 17-9, 28-12, 42-27 and 50-36 in 30. On Friday, he faces Murat Naci Coklu, another fast starter in this World championship.
A revelation of the WC so far was also the Colombian Mauricio Gutierrez, the player who started the exodus of Semih Sayginer and eliminated in this first round one of the top players in Korean billiards: Jung Han Heo. It was the second knock-out in this round for the Koreans after Haeng Jik Kim's against Jaspers.
The loss of Sung-won Choi, the only world champion in Korean billiards, was just as sensitive, although it was against a compatriot. And Jérémy Bury sent another Korean out of the tournament: Chang Hoon Seo, by 50-37 in 35/34 innings. So, at the end of these first knockout sessions, only two remain from the super strong Asian nation: Choong Bok Lee and Wan Young Choi, who overpowered Dutch Master Ludo Kools in a modest match: 50-32 in 40/39 innings.
The schedule for Friday in the round with the best sixteen:
12.00:
Coklu-Ceulemans
Gutierrez-Lee
Legazpi-WY Choi
Zanetti-Lindemann
14.00:
Bury-Garcia
Jaspers-Sidhom
Cenet-Horn
Merckx-Tasdemir.
Marco Zanetti, the day's best in the first knock-out rounds
Torbjörn Blomdahl said farewell to his world title
Dick Jaspers was the better of Haeng Jik Kim, one of the main Koreans
Murat Naci Coklu, in an excellent form, now Ceulemans' opponent in the best 16
Peter Ceulemans, one of the revelations at this World championship so far
Martin Horn send away another giant: Dani Sánchez
Sameh Sidhom, promising start for the home star, but is he ready for Jaspers?
Pictures Hervé Lacombe and Paul Brekelmans