WONJU - Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran was the standout player in the first five sessions of the six-group preliminary round in the World 3-cushion Grand Prix in Wonju. With five matches played, Tran, Dick Jaspers, Jung Han Heo and Marco Zanetti are the players with the maximum score in match points. Tran is the best in average with 2,234. He shone with 19 run as well in his match against Korean lady Jieun Han, made by Tran in his very last inning (16-5 and 35-6 for Tran, 3.923 on average). Quyet Chien Tran is also the player with the most points made over 2 sets of 20 minutes. The Vietnamese achieved 51 points in 13 innings (3,923) in the match against Jieun Han.
Ruben Legazpi was the best so far in match-average with 45 points in 10 innings (4,500). The other player to reach the 50 mark was Duc Anh Chien Nguyen with 50 in 16 innings. Notable scores came as well from Marco Zanetti (45 in 23), Jun Tae Kim, Jung Hee Lee and Dion Nelin, Murat Naci Coklu and Choong Bok Lee (all 44 points).
The World Grand Prix at the fancy Korean hotel is gradually moving toward the final stage. Over two days, five players out of each group are qualified for the next phase: with 6 groups of five players, all playing against each other again. The best numbers 1 and 2 from each group qualify together with the 4 best numbers 3 for the final stage with 16 players in a double knockout. Those final matches will be played on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
The six ladies in the company of 48 players ended the day on Thursday evening with two wins, for Therese Klompenhouwer and Nhi Hoangyen Nguyen, a draw by Ga Yeon Jang and losses for Han, Karakasli and Fukao.
The overview with two days of preliminary rounds to go:
Group A:
The undisputed leader is Dick Jaspers with his 15 match points out of 5 and 2,170 on average. For the four other positions, there's coming up another nice fight, although Pedro Piedrabuena after his victory over Myung Woo Cho (2-0, 2.066, run 15) is also almost certainly moving up to the next round. Jaspers defeated TTT Nguyen 2-0 (2,818) in his fifth match. The Dutchman leads ahead of Piedrabuena (10 points), Jun Tae Kim (9), Bong Joo Hwang (7) and TTT Nguyen (5). There is still some work to be done for Myung Woo Cho, despite his run of 14, as he is still in shared fifth position for now. Playing against Jun Tae Kim and Myung Woo Cha in his final two matches, Jaspers is a kind of executioner for the outcome in this group. The crucial match between Jaspers and Cho, two key players from the last World Cup, will open the penultimate day tomorrow.
Group B:
Sung Won Choi is the leader and passed Dani Sánchez after his win over Jose Miguel Soares. Sánchez and Seo played a draw in their last game, leaving three players in pursuit of Choi (9 points): Dani Sánchez, Nikos Polychronopoulos and Chang Hoon Seo have 7 points out of 4 games. Jung Hee Lee, who unexpectedly lost to Vietnamese lady Nguyen (11-10 in the third set), is still just in fifth place with 6 points. In the group, Jin Youl Kim dropped out due to the death of his mother. Tomorrow, Friday, the day opens with the match between Dani Sánchez and Sung Won Choi with the leading position at stake. The next match is between Nikos Polychronopoulos and Chang Hoon Seo, also decisive for the top spots.
Group C:
Jung Han Heo, after his fifth win, firmly holds the leading position with 15 points, chased by a trio of Turks of whom Tayfun Tasdemir is the best with 12 points out of 5, ahead of Murat Naci Coklu (9) and Burak Hashas (7). Heo is best in average with 2,126 ahead of Tasdemir 2,078. Young Dutchman Sam van Etten lost his fifth match to Coklu and drops to fifth place with 6 match points, just ahead of Jose Juan Garcia with 4. Van Etten is tied with Wan Yung Choi and one point ahead of Garcia, both of whom he needs to stay ahead of in his final games against Fukao and Hashas. The opening match on Friday is the Turkish clash between Tayfun Tasdemir and Murat Naci Coklu. Jung Han Heo and Jose Juan Garcia is the next match, in which Garcia is playing for his last chances.
Group D:
The lead is shared by Torbjörn Blomdahl, Haeng Jik Kim and Myeong Jong Cha, all three with 12 match points and out of reach of the chasers. Torbjörn Blomdahl won against Myeong Jong Cha 2-0 (2,266). Haeng Jik Kim was the better in the important match against Miyashita 2-1 (2.050). Four players compete for the other two positions: Miyashita, Cataño, DR Kim and Choong Bok Lee. Only Karakasli is eliminated in this group. Torbjörn Blomdahl must wait until his last match before he meets Haeng Jik Kim in a straight duel. Choong Bok Lee starts against Blomdahl on Friday in an attempt to advance to the top five.
Group E:
Quyet Chien Tran's position is unassailable with 15 match points out of 5. Sameh Sidhom, who defeated Dion Nelin 2-0 (2,214) follows along with Hyung Kon Kim three points down, Dion Nelin is still very much in contention for the top positions. Ruben Legazpi is trying to maintain his fifth position after the win over Ayman. Alessio D'Agata was defeated by Tran in his last match and needs a strong final shot to surprise. Ruben Legazpi has a mission in his match against Sameh Sidhom on Friday morning. The Spaniard wants to definitely play his way into the top five and later gets Korean lady Jieun Han as his last. Alessio D'Agata and Mahmoud Ayman, the two young promising players in this group, play the final match against each other. Quyet Chien Tran and Sameh Sidhom are likely to play for the group win on that final day.
Group F:
There is no problem at all for Marco Zanetti with his 15 match points out of 5 games. The Italian was also unstoppable by Pedro Gonzalez, shining 2-0 (3,000 average, runs 14 and 12). Su Yeong Park, despite losing in the last game, is almost certainly going to the next stage, the same for Duc Anh Chien Nguyen. Eddy Merckx defeated Therese Klompenhouwer 2-1 in a very tactical match. Therefore, the Belgian climbed to a shared fourth place (together with Nguyen and Park with 9 points). They are followed by Pedro Gonzalez and Therese Klompenhouwer. The Dutch world champion rebounded beautifully in her last day match. She defeated Su Yeong Park 2-1 (1.434 for Therese, 1.291 for Park). ''I still believe in my chances,'' reckoned Klompenhouwer, who doesn't want to go home yet on Sunday. ''I hope to stay in the tournament, that would be a nice success.''
Jung Han Heo, one of the top ranked Asians
Eddy Merckx in a catch-up race to qualify for next round
Ruben Legazpi, talking with two South-American friends during the matches
Therese Klompenhouwer, the only lady with chances to advance to next rounds