SEOUL - How must Vietnamese player Phuong Vinh Bao, until the World Cup in Seoul almost an unknown in international three cushion, have felt, when he was on his way to beat the multiple World Cup winner and six-time world champion Torbjörn Blomdahl with a top run of 9? Having made the ultimate attack, he needed three more points for a victory that was historic for him, one inning later, Bao passed the verdict on the legend: 40-30 in 20 innings. The Vietnamese was euphoric, although he remained stoic and unmoved, out of respect for the famous champion he had just put on the rack by a ten caroms margin on the day Marco Zanetti, Dani Sánchez, Dick Jaspers and Semih Sayginer reached the maximum score.
With two wins out of three (4 match points, 1.712), Phuong Vinh Bao (27), who is absolutely the hero of this World Cup, ended as the winner of the quadruple, in which Torbjörn Blomdahl was the runner-up (4 match points, 1.666) and Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, the other Vietnamese and number two of the World Championship in Randers two years ago, was eliminated as number 3 with 4 match points and 1.549. And to make it even more crazy for 'Master Bao' on this day: Tayfun Tasdemir finished in last position in this group with 0 match points and 1.476.
The same fate befell Martin Horn in his match against Min Suk Kim, a young qualifier, in the last sessions of the Korean evening, when Horn missed the equalizer for the spots at 40-39 and was therefore eliminated for the World Cup knock-outs. Two of the world's top three-cushion players were out in that last round, just like the other big stars who fell in the previous rounds of this marathon with four groups of eight: Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran, Turk Murat Naci Coklu, young Korean Myung Woo Cho and Lütfi Cenet. What an unimaginable wear and tear in this World Cup in the final stretch on the way to the final rounds with 16.
Phuong Vinh Bao most of all has been the shining star of the World Cup so far, having survived three rounds of preliminary rounds. Many fans and people in the stands wonder where this Vietnamese, born in Binh Duong in 1995, the number 20 in the Vietnamese ranking, came from all of a sudden. His first comment, after first assuring that he could never have dreamed of beating the famous Torbjörn Blomdahl: ''This is the first time I come to play a major tournament outside Vietnam.'' And about the match with Blomdahl: ,,He is the legend of billiards, I tried my best, but who would have thought I could win...'' Although he did know recently that it was possible to shine in this World Cup, after winning the Nha Trang Open in his country with many great Vietnamese players.
Phuong Vinh Bao, who is considered to make a 'speedy step' in the Vietnamese billiards village, graduated with a master's degree in economics in Australia and returned home on December 20, 2019. He entered his billiards career with endless passion. ''I am a professional now for one year and have decided to follow the billiards career and temporarily put aside my master's degree. I set the challenge for mysel is three years. If there are no outstanding achievements, I will choose another path.'' Phuong Vinh's progress in pursuing a career in billiards, also has the advantage of receiving the support of his family. Seeing Phuong Vinh's passion for billiards, his family bought him a Min table to practice more at home. ''It is thanks to my parents' support and consent that I have made progress. I would like to thank my parents and those who have always accompanied, watches and supported me over the past time.''
For the World Cup in Seoul, Phuong Vinh is facing Eddy Merckx in the first knock-out stage. The group winners on Friday were Marco Zanetti (highest average of all 32, 2.181), Dani Sánchez (highest run, 18), Dick Jaspers, Semih Sayginer, Haeng Jik Kim, Sameh Sidhom, Phuong Vinh Bao and Wan Young Choi.
The numbers two in the groups going to the best 16:
Gwendal Maréchal, Jun Tae Kim, Jung Han Heo, Nikos Polychronopoulos, Myeong Jong Cha, Eddy Merckx, Torbjörn Blomdahl and Jérémy Bury.
The matches for the round with the best sixteen (knock-out to 50 points) on Saturday are:
11.30 Korean time (4.30 Western Europe):
Marco Zanetti-Gwendal Maréchal
Wan Young Choi-Jun Tae Kim
Haeng Jik Kim-Myeong Jong Cha
Semih Sayginer-Nikos Polychronopoulos
14.00 Vietnam (7.00 West Europe)
Dick Jaspers-Jérémy Bury
Phuong Vinh Bao-Eddy Merckx
Sameh Sidhom-Torbjörn Blomdahl
Dani Sánchez-Jung Han Heo.
Saturday 16.30 and 19.00 (Vietnamese time) quarter-finals.
The overview and final rankings of the eight groups on Friday:
Group A:
The number one on the rankings, Dick Jaspers, is after two rounds already by far the number one in Group A, in which the Dutchman first beats Gwendal Maréchal 40-25 in 17 innings (final run 9) and then deals with Korean Choong Bok Lee: 40-31 in 23 innings after a 7 and 5 finish. The leading position for the final session frees Jaspers from the first pressure. Choong Bok Lee and Luis Martinez will fight it out for the second position and qualification. Luis Martinez takes a first option against Maréchal (40-26 in 25, the match between Lee and Maréchal will decide the ticket to the next round. The Frenchman uses his ultimate chance, beats Lee 40-25 in 22 innings and climbs on average to the second position behind Dick Jaspers. Truly a great result for Gwendal Maréchal.
Ranking in Group A:
1 Dick Jaspers 6-1.904-9
2 Gwendal Maréchal 2-1.421-6
3 Choong Bok Lee 2-1.371-11
4 Luis Martinez 2-1,219-8
Group B:
Dani Sánchez's smooth start, with a win over Bong Joo Hwang (40-14 in 17, 6th inning, run 11), a qualifier in this company, gets the Spaniard into his rhythm. Jun Tae Kim already seems to be the candidate to go to the knock outs, after the Korean turned the match against his compatriot Chang Hoon Seo into a win. The tension in the group is coming up when Sánchez decides the fight with Jun Tae Kim in his favor (40-33 in 26) and Hwang wins against Seo 40-23 in 24. Dani Sánchez's victory march continues against Seo: with a 26-22 score for the Korean, the Spaniard goes into a delicious flow to the finish with a run of 18: 40-26 in 15. Jun Tae Kim rattles off another top match in the last round to secure his second position: 40-20 in 14 against Bong Joo Hwang.
Ranking in Group B:
1 Dani Sánchez 6-2068-18
2 Jun Tae Kim 4-1,712-7
3 Bong Joo Hwang 2-1,345-8
4 Chang Hoon Seo 0-1,107-9
Group C:
Two Koreans and a Vietnamese cannot threaten Marco Zanetti as the Italian shows his top form all the way. The maestro first beats Quang Hao Truong in the best match of these first rounds by 40-15 in 14 (run 11 to the finish). Jung Han Heo plays a draw against Dong Ryong Kim (40-40 in 29) and has no chance at all facing Zanetti, who makes an 8 and some runs of 3 and 4. Zanetti wins 40-14 in 19 and is sovereign in the group with two Asians. And because Dong Ryong Kim also lags far behind Zanetti (40-13 in 22), the Italian ends up as the best of the 32 players this day. Jung Han Heo, with three match points, can move up with Zanetti, despite a moderate 1.342 average.
Ranking in Group C:
1 Marco Zanetti 6-2,181-11
2 Jung Han Heo 3-1,342-13
3 Dong Ryong Kim 3-1.021-5
4 Quang Hao Truong 0-0.934-7
Group D:
For four great players from the World Cup podium, Group D is launched as the group of death with Quyet Chien Tran, Haeng Jik Kim, Myung Woo Cho and Nikos Polychronopoulos. The Greek is the bummer for the Asians in the first session when he beats Quyet Chien Tran 40-31 in 25. And the Korean clash between Haeng Jik Kim and Myung Woo Cho comes to a draw, after Cho first has finished with three and Kim equalises with 3. Tran then wins fagainst little Cho 40-28 in 20 and Haeng Jik Kim stays ahead of Polychronopoulos 40-37 in 32. Two outstanding Asian players, Quyet Chien Tran and Myung Woo Cho, make a free fall in the last session. Myung Woo Cho is beaten by Polychronopoulos 40-27 in 22, Quyet Chien Tran is sacrificed by Haeng Jik Kim 40-36 in 15.
The final ranking in Group D:
1 Haeng Jik Kim 5-1,690-10
2 Nikos Polychronopoulos 4-1,481-9
3 Quyet Chien Tran 2-1,783-13
4 Myung Woo Cho 1-1,439-11
Group E:
Myeong Jong Cha is after two sessions the leader in the group with two victories, after the rather unknown Korean first beats his compatriot Ji Hun Ahn (40-33 in 24) and in his second round also Sameh Sidhom, 40-38 in 23. That surprises the opponents of which Murat Naci Coklu doesn't have the best start against Sidhom (loss 40-26 in 26) and recovers with a nice 40-31 against Ahn in 23. The Egyptian beats Ji hun Ahn 40-35 in 24 and finishes as the group winner, Myeong Jong Cha is one of the big surprises, he loses to Coklu in the last round (40-25 in 21), but in the end (three players with 4 points) he ends just ahead of Coklu in average.
The final ranking in Group E:
1 Sameh Sidhom 4-1,616-11
2 Myeong Jong Cha 4-1.544-7
3 Murat Naci Coklu 4-1.514-7
4 Ji Hun Ahn 0-1.394-8
Group F:
The job is already done after two sessions for Semih Sayginer, who first wins against Lütfi Cenet 40-29 in 23 and then takes the important match against Eddy Merckx 40-36 in 28. A wonderful show down is coming up with Merckx-Cenet ahead and the Korean Son already eliminated. Semih Sayginer races towards the maximum match points. Eddy Merckx shows up in his best match of the three in his last one against Lütfi Cenet, which he wins 40-25 in 15 and a run of 16. The Belgian will face Vietnamese survivor Phuong Vinh Bao in the first knock-outs on Saturday.
The standings in Group F:
1 Semih Sayginer 6-1,578-10
2 Eddy Merckx 4-1.657-16
3 Lütfi Cenet 2-1.576-8
4 Jun Hyuk Son 0-1.109-11
Group G:
The unsurpassed Phuong Vinh Bao delivers a dazzling performance and tops the ranking in Group G after three sessions ahead of Torbjörn Blomdahl, Duc Anh Chien and Tayfun Tasdemir. The latter two of these three are eliminated and Torbjörn Blomdahl can afford the remarkable loss against Bao after two wins. Three players finish with 4 match points, the Vietnamese 'Master' is the best in average. Duc Anh Chien Nguyen finishes with a win over Tayfun Tasdemir (who remains at 0 points), but falls short of Blomdahl's average.
The final ranking in Group G:
1 Phuong Vinh Bao 4-1.712-10
2 Torbjörn Blomdahl 4-1.666-9
3 Duc Anh Chien Nguyen 4-1.549-10
4 Tayfun Tasdemir 0-1.476-10
Group H:
Wan Young Choi and Jérémy Bury go into the bouncer to a long fight with two slow players. The Korean is already seeded as the group winner, Jérémy Bury needs a win to stay ahead of Min Suk Kim and Martin Horn, who still play each other, in second place. That climax goes in Bury's favur. The Frenchman beats Choi 40-36 in 32 innings. Martin Horn, who had to win to stay ahead of Bury, misses his equalizer against Min Suk Kim. In hindsight, a draw would not have been enough either.
The final score in Group H:
1 Wan Young Choi 4-1,303-11
2 Jérémy Bury 4-1,261-8
3 Min Suk Kim 2-1,444-7
4 Martin Horn 2-1,272-13.
Phuong Vinh Bao (left) with his father when he graduated with a master's degree in economics in Australia
Marco Zanetti, the best of 8 group winners with the maximum matchpoints and 2.181 on average