GOYANG-CITY - The brand-new Kintex Centre in Goyang City is gearing up for the final match in the Hana Card event with a big European field in the men's event. Two Korean ladies, Se-yeon Kim and Min-joo Baek, play the final today, Thursday, at 11pm on the Korean clock (4pm in Western Europe). Meanwhile, Spaniard Javier Palazon and Korean Jae-guen Kim, in a new part of his career now that he is a father of twins, have qualified first for the men's semi-finals.
The other quarter-finals are later today: Eddy Leppens will play Birol Uymaz from 10.00, Semih Sayginer against Lütfi Cenet at 13.30. Javier Palazon won in those quarters against Yeong-hun Lee 3-0 (1,957), Jae-guen Kim vs Sang-dae Lee 3-2 (1,600).
The gun smoke has blown away from two European clashes from the last round, which were decided by close finishes. Javier Palazon won the Spanish encounter with David Martinez 3-2 in an exciting end game. Palazon finished 2.478 average, Martinez 1.864.
Eddy Leppens and Murat Naci Coklu crowned a thriller with a win for the Belgian, who came back from a 2-0 deficit to 2-2 (15-11, 15-8, 13-15, 10-15), before the decisive set ended in 11-3 after a run of eight by Leppens (averages 1.538/1.494).
Five of the eight games in the R16 were over five-sets.
Se-yeon Kim, already winner of two PBA tours and the PBA World Championship, plays the women's final against Min-ju Baek, who is in the hunt for her first PBA success. Min-joo Baek won vs Eun-yeong Jung in the semi-finals 3-2 (0.754/0.550), Se-yeon Kim vs Mi-rae Lee 3-2 (11-3, 6-11, 2-11, 11-5, 9-6, averages 0.975/0.923). The final is at 4pm in Western Europe (11pm in Korea).
Semih Sayginer gearing up for his late match with Lütfi Cenet
Se-yeon Kim, multi winner in PBA, again playing a final match