LAS VEGAS - The World Cup in Las Vegas, the first in 2023, goes to a fifty-fifty final round on Friday (later on the European evening) and Saturday with 16 final players: eight Europeans and eight Asians. Dick Jaspers misses a final stage for the first time in three years, also Sameh Sidhom and Semih Sayginer from top ten missed qualifying for the knock-outs. Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran was the best of eight group winners with 6 match points and 2.181 on average, Torbjörn Blomdahl was even best in average as a runner-up with 2 points and 2.391, Nikos Polychronopoulos was eliminated with 2 points and 2.169, the same for Dick Jaspers, the world’s number 1, with 2 points and 2.019. 28-year-old Vietnamese former student Phuong Vinh Bao showed again the revelation of this event. He beat Dick Jaspers and Peter Ceulemans and qualified for the finalstogether with the magnificent Belgian.
Ruben Legazpi had a day of extremes. The Spaniard lost his first match to Dani Sánchez 40-24 in 25, excelled in his next match against Pedro Piedrabuena with a 20-run (2,857), but was disappointed to be eliminated in the next round by Sung Il Jeong. The other highlights in this round of 32 came from Quyet Chien Tran, who swept off his opponent Carlos Villegas from the USA by 40-10 in 10 innings (4,000) and from Torbjörn Blomdahl, who won over Vietnamese Van Ly Dao by 40-21 in 11 innings (3,636). These were the best games from this round.
The overview of the eight groups:
Group A:
Peter Ceulemans starts with a win over Dick Jaspers, the world number one whom he has already beaten several times in World Cups. The Belgian wins 40-29 in 16, later mentioning it as ’the perfect match’ and laying the foundations for qualification. Phuong Vinh Bao opens with a 40-39 loss against Javier Vera, but recovers formidably. The Vietnamese is the better of Dick Jaspers (40-36 in 18) and in the last session of Peter Ceulemans with 40-16 in 20. The Belgian is then already placed second to Bao. Jaspers is eliminated, for the first time since the 2019 World Cup in Guri he does not make it to the top 16 in a World Cup. Bao finishes his match against Ceulemans with a final run of 13.
The standings:
1 Bao 4-1,724-13
2 Ceulemans 4-1.655-13
3 Jaspers 2-2.019-13
4 Vera 2-1,056-6
The new Vietnamese kid on the blocks, Phuong Vinh Bao, who beat Jaspers and Ceulemans
Peter Ceulemans has launched an excellent World Cup by winning against Jaspers in a perfect match
Group B:
Dani Sánchez, who beat his companion Ruben Legazpi 40-24 in 25 in the first session, remains unbeaten with a comfortable lead in his matches with Sung Il Jeong and Pedro Piedrabuena, finishing 1,846 on average. Sung Il Jeong advances to the top 16, Ruben Legazpi, with his stunning run of 20 against Piedrabuena, is eliminated. The USA story is over and out with the elimination of Piedrabuena, Patino and Villegas (1,107, 1,088 and 1,012), a disappointing score for the home country.
The standings:
1 Dani Sánchez 6-1,846-10
2 Sung Il Jeong 4-1,521-7
3 Ruben Legazpi 2-1,596-20
4 Pedro Piedrabuena 0-1,107-7
Dani Sánchez, the group winner after beating Ruben Legazpi
Group C:
Marco Zanetti's supremacy is undeniable, with three wins over Patino (40-23 in 16), Heo (40-21 in 16) and Hwang (40-28 in 29). The Italian launches himself to be a dangerous contender showing his very best form. Jung Han Heo moves into the top 16 with four match points and 1,507.
The standings:
1 Marco Zanetti 6-1,967-10
2 Jung Han Heo 4-1,507-6
3 Bong Joo Hwang 2-1,107-6
4 Hugo Patino 0-1,088-8
Mister Marco Zanetti, superior in his group on the way to final format
Group D:
Jun Tae Kim and Duc Anh Chien Nguyen dominate the group, eliminating Nikos Polychronopoulos with the best average by 40-37 and 40-38 against Nguyen and Kim. The match between the numbers 1 and 2 ends in Nguyen's favor with 40-25 in 25. Sameh Sidhom loses important points for the ranking as number 4 in the group.
The standings:
1 Jun Tae Kim 4-1,666-12
2 Duc Anh Chien Nguyen 4-1,523-9
3 Nikos Polychronopoulos 2-2,169-14
4 Sameh Sidhom 2-1,543-10
Jun Tae Kim, one of the traditional Koreans in the final stage
Group E:
Myung Woo Cho is the big standout with six match points and 1,714 on average. He is followed by three 2-point players, of whom Torbjörn Blomdahl is the best in average (2.391) and a great win against Dao in 11 innings, for which he later apologises, having continued after a two-cushion shot. The Scandinavian clash is decisive for second place, with Blomdahl winning over Nelin 40-32 in 17.
The standings:
1 Myung Woo Cho 6-1,714-8
2 Torbjörn Blomdahl 2-2.391-16
3 Van Ly Dao 2-1,714-14
4 Dion Nelin 2-1,444-8
Myung Woo Cho, the perfect series in his group, leading ahead of Blomdahl
Torbjörn Blomdahl managed to finish as the best second on average
Group F:
Three Turks and Jérémy Bury compete for the two qualifications. Tayfun Tasdemir is the winner with 6 match points ahead of Berkay Karakurt with 3 points. Bury and Coklu, two leaders on the world stage, are eliminated. Karakurt forces the qualification thanks to a strong equalizer against Coklu, gaining the one match point that puts him in second place behind unbeaten Tasdemir.
The standings:
1 Tayfun Tasdemir 6-1,967-12
2 Berkay Karakurt 3-1.434-11
3 Jérémy Bury 2-1,473-10
4 Murat Naci Coklu 1-1.219-9
Tayfun Tasdemir, great winner in a group with three Turks and Jérémy Bury
Group G:
The starring role belongs to Quyet Chien Tran, who starts with a 40-10 in 10 against Villegas (an opening with 6, 8 and 7, 21-0 in three innings) and later in the decisive match against Haeng Jik Kim with 40-29 in 24 innings. Numbers 1 and 2 are superior in averages, Korean Myeong Jong Cha is disappointing, winning only against Villegas.
The standings:
1 Quyet Chien Tran 6-2,181-11
2 Haeng Jik Kim 4-1,472-7
3 Myeong Jong Cha 2-1.19-0-7
4 Carlos Mario Villegas 0-1.012-7
Quyet Chien Tran, surely one of the big contenders for the Vegas Cup
Group H:
Eddy Merckx has a spectacular finish after the Belgian loses his first game against Martin Horn 40-39 in 25 innings. The recovery is impressive. Merckx first beats Sung Won Choi 40-37 in 19 and has to win the last one against Semih Sayginer. Merckx manages to do that with flair: 40-27 in 15. Martin Horn secures his second place in the first two games. He loses the third to Choi 40-32 in 31, but qualifies like Merckx with four match points. Sayginer is one of the leading world players missing the final stage. The Turkish champion remains stuck on 1.283 in average.
The standings:
1 Eddy Merckx 4-2,016-9
2 Martin Horn 4-1,230-10
3 Sung Won Choi 2-1,308-6
4 Semih Sayginer 2-1,283-7.
Eddy Merckx, an excellent final rush to qualify after his loss against Horn
The matches in the last 16:
11am Las Vegas (20.00 Western Europe):
Torbjörn Blomdahl-Quyet Chien Tran
Peter Ceulemans-Jun Tae Kim
Jung Han Heo-Myung Woo Cho
Haeng Jik Kim-Dani Sánchez
13.30 (22.30 in Western Europe)
Martin Horn-Marco Zanetti
Sung Il Jeong-Eddy Merckx
Duc Anh Chien Nguyen-Phuong Vinh Bao
Tayfun Tasdemir-Berkay Karakurt
Quarter-finals on Friday 16.00 and 18.30 (Saturday 1.00 and 3.30 in Western Europe).