3-Cushion
The young Korean world champion Haeng Jik Kim (18) misses the final qualifying round for the main tournament in Hurghada. It was the biggest surprise of the day, because not the greatest talent in the world, but the Dane Claus Foge came out as the winner in the group where Kim had started as the great favorite.
The mutual match between the two players was a sharp and fascinating duel. Kim won the first set (15-6), Foge the second (15-8), in the third the Dane had the strongest nerves: 15-13. Both players finished the match with 1,000 average. Tonny Carlsen, Ad Koorevaar and Wesley Jaeger lived up their role of favorite in the groups in which they played. The Dane Carlsen had the highest average of the day with 1,333, the Belgian De Jaeger was a close second with 1,267, Ronny Lindemann had 1.224 behind his name.
Two Egyptians also rallied in the twelve players who survived the round. Mohamed Zayed did so with an average of 0,896 and a highest run of nine, which also was realized by Carlsen and Forton. Haeng Jik Kim said a last farewell with a run of eight.
The qualifying round of today brought three Danes and three Dutch success. Besides Ad Koorevaar also Wilco van Wijk and Huub Wilkowski reached to the next round for the Netherlands. The Danes are coming back tomorrow with Tonny Carlsen, Claus Foge and Michael Toudahl. Furthermore, Pierre Soumagne for France is one of the qualified players, Ronny Lindemann of Germany and Wesley Jaeger and Dirk Mullaert for Belgium. That provides interesting groups for tomorrow. Roland Forthomme, Michael Nilson and Wesley Jaeger will play on the fourth day in a group of death. Jean Paul de Bruijn meets on his way to the main event the strong Korean Jung Han Heo. Two Turks, Adnan Yüksel and Lutfi Cenet play in one group and Peter Ceulemans, Pierre Soumagne and Gerhard Kostistansky certainly don't have a walkover to the main tournament .
The group formats are:
Poule A: Jean Paul de Bruijn, Dirk Muylaert, Heo Jung Han.
Poule B: Roland Forthomme, Wesley de Jaeger, Michael Nilsson.
Poule C: Jae Guen Kim, Michael Toudahl, Javier Palazón.
Poule D: Cenet Lutfi, Adnan Yüksel, Mohamed Zayed.
Poule E: Jérôme Barbeillon, Hamdi Badr, Murat Naci Coklu.
Poule F: Glenn Hofmann, Wilco van Wijk, Ruben Legazpi.
Poule G: Savas Bulut, Claus Flug, Raimond Burgman.
Poule H: Barry Beers, Christian Rudolph, Ad Koorevaar.
Poule I: Therese Klompenhouwer, Tonny Carlsen, Gung Dong Kang.
Poule J: Jean Reverchon, Huub Wilkowski, Kouji Funaki.
Poule K: Peter Ceulemans, Pierre Soumagne Gerhard Kostistansky.
Poule L: Emilio Sciacca, Ronny Lindemann, Jae Ho Cho