3-Cushion
RANDERS - The Swedish national anthem, his 80-year-old father Lennart in the stands, in the crowded room with spectators and with the champion who could barely control his emotions. Who would ever have thought it: Torbjörn Blomdahl, shining with the world title again in Randers, Denmark, in front of countless cameras, in a field with all the champions of his generation and a many new, young talents. And mainly after a few minor years of the six-time world champion and second best player in three cushion history in the steps of the eternal legend Raymond Ceulemans.
The only person who could still threaten him on Saturday evening in the final match was the Vietnamese Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, 36 years of old, a newcomer, but a feared competitor for the coming years. That final already had a magical start for Torbjörn Blomdahl: a run of seven, a lead with 14-0, 16-2 and 22-3, so the match actually seemed over before the stop. But still, anyone who watched this small, little bit shy Duc Anh Chien before, will know that he will never give up and always keeps fighting. Blomdahl also experienced that after the break. The score first went up to 27-6, but then, the Vietnamese suddenly turned on the turbo and slowly came back to 27-12, 27-18, 30-24 and even 31-30.
The spectators jumped up straight, the scoreboard ticked on in Vietnamese favour... it would not come true that this Asian man, inexperienced, could still beat the boss, the big and top-notch Blomdahl? And no, it just didn't get that far anymore. The Swedish whirlwind went to the end with runs of 6 and 3 for a score of 40-30. Duc Anh Chien appealed to his forces one more time, started for the equalizer with 1, 2, to 4, 5, 6 and 7, but then missed out on three points from the end.
The joy, finally, came over Torbjörn Blomdahl, the Swedish miracle, the hurricane, the whirlwind, the gold digger of three cushion and whatever nicknames he all was given in his long career, that wonderful joy could finally shine from the 57-year-old Swedish, brand new world champion for the seventh time in his career. On stage with Duc Anh Chien, the coming man from distant Vietnam, with Semih Sayginer, who made his glorious come back to the top of the world, but was not still awarded by his second world title and with Sameh Sidhom, the youngest of the finalists, the Egyptian, still, unfortunately, with too many ups and downs in his career.
Torbjörn Blomdahl on stage again for his second world title in three cushion
The best four after the World championship: Torbjörn Blomdahl with the trophy on top, Duc Anh Chien Nguyen, the number two (left), Sameh Sidhom and Semih Sayginer (r), the numbers three en four
The new world champion in his finest moment: in the arms of his 80-year old father Lennart Blomdahl
Tobjörn Blomdahl later made his round-up: little bit of luck with those curious, almost incredible two runs of 8 in the shoot-outs against Lütfi Cenet and Eddy Merckx. "I needed that bit of luck, otherwise I might have been out." The story of his father in the stands, who apparently had given him just a little more mental power to win this new title. ''I knew, thinking about last months, that I was doing better physically. That I started to play, felt that my feelings came back, because I practiced more and therefore felt good. My illness had disturbed me a bit, but I am completely better again."
''Ther were some bizarre games, with big margins, fighting back in precarious situations and of course, I should never lose to the Vietnamese in the final after such a huge lead, such a big gap to bridge. But I allowed him to come back, I stopped scoring for a while, so then he even came so far into the match that he was only two points down anymore. Of course, I felt some stress, I felt a bit uncomfortable, but then, luckily, I woke up in right on time. And still it wasn't over yet: he had to make ten from the spots and only stopped at three from the end...''
He analysed his opponent showing lots of respect: ''I did know him for a while, we both play with a Molinari cue, we sometimes practice together and give exhibitions when we get there. I had seen him coming, it was not out of the blue. He is a player with a great technique, a stroke of gold. He can play very well on positions and score feared high runs. Doing that, he won the semi-finals against Sayginer. And it also brought him very close to the end when we were in the final. We must say: he did not play a fantastic average: around 1,500 overall. Then you can say: it is special that you get that far. With a little luck here and there, but mostly thanks to his great qualities. At the end, I am not only very happy that I have been able to win, but most of all that I have stopped him and could beat this Vietnamese, because he is very, very dangerous."
The semi-finals in a nutshell:
Torbjörn Blomdahl-Sameh Sidhom 40-18 (10)
The uphill line in Torbjörn Blomdahl's performance reached a new high in the match against Sameh Sidhom. The 32-year-old graduated dentist from Cairo stood in a semi-final for the first time in a mayor event since 2017 (World Games), but was overpowered by Blomdahl from the start. The Swede started with 12, followed with 6, 0 and 5 and after four of Sidhom's misses, the score was 23-0 in four innings.
"My most important mistake was that I lost the match for who could start from the spots'', the Egyptian said in his commentary after Blomdahl's finish at the end with 11. Sidhom scored 4, 4, 4 and 2 to close and made the score slightly milder: 40-18 in 10, averages 4,000 and 1,800. ''Now I am very disappointed, but tomorrow, surely, I will be satisfied with my tournament, although I must confess that it was not my best. I was good enough to win all my matches until the semi-final, because I seemed to be better than my opponents at the end.'' Sidhom won successively against Maréchal (40-25), Abdin (40-38), Myung Woo Cho (40-34), Forthomme (40-40 and 4-1) and Polychronopoulos (40-27).
His admiration for Torbjörn Blomdahl was immense after they faced. Sidhom: ''I knew he was always getting better, because the three of us, Polychronopoulos, Blomdahl and I, we practiced a lot when we were in Korea a few weeks ago. Practice in the morning, exhibitions in the evening. He gained confidence and form. What I have seen here, at the World championship, is incredible. In ten years, I haven't seen TB play so good as what he is doing now."
Blomdahl and Sidhom in the match for the semi-finals
Torbjörn Blomdahl, waiting for the point
Sameh Sidhom, trying to find his way back in the semis
Duc Anh Chien Nguyen-Semih Sayginer 40-36 (21)
The undisturbed Vietnamese reached the final of a World championship for the first time in his not so long career, but for sure in the most important tournament of the year. Semih Sayginer, first and last world champion so far in 2003, was one of the highfliers at this world stage, among other things by eliminating the title holder Dick Jaspers. Still, he could not peak at the right moment and capitulated for Duc Anh Chien Nguyen. The podium place in Veghel's World Cup in Veghel showd the way up. There, the new star told his story for the first time (late start, good business with his wife) and there, in Holland, was eventually knocked out by HaengJik Kim, the later winner.
Here, in Randers, Nguyen first took a lead against Sayginer (20-13), the Turkish stylist came back with 9 (to 22-20), but fate fell to the side of the amiable Duc Anh Chien after the 33-33 in 18. With runs of three and four, 'Ducky' passed the finish line, happy with his final place on the world stage.
Semih Sayginer, ten minutes after the game in his commentary afterwards: ''It was a bad game for me, which never went my way. I tried to give it all, but it didn't work. When I got some grip on the game, it was too late. My opponent finished with four. I had to equalize with 7, but missed out on four from the end.''
''I am happy that I didn't lose my position on the rankings. And of course, like everyone else, I really wanted to win, but there is only one winner. I wish the players good luck for the final.''
Duc Anh Chien after his win in the semi-finals over Sayginer
Semih Sayginer in the semi-finals: I tried my best, but it was not my game
The 72nd World championship was preceded by the death of a billiard icon: 77-year-old Nobuaki Kobayashi, main rival of Raymond Ceulemans in the glory years of the Belgian grandmaster. He died in his country Japan on the eve of the starting day in Randers. The two times world champion was commemorated during the opening ceremony and overwhelmed by great attention all over the world in the days that followed. Kobayashi won two world title three cushion in his career and two world titles with Japan.
The World championship started with 48 players from 23 countries, 32 of whom qualified after the preliminary rounds. The best player in that first pre-round was Eddy Merckx with a 40-points win in 13 innings and a high run of 18. Roland Forthomme played a fantastic 40 in 11 to beat Blomdahl in the group, the only loss for the Swede. The match between Dion Nelin and Jae-Ho Cho had a historic character. The Dane and the Korean played 40-40 in 11, one of the very best 'combined' matches all time with runs of sixteen for Nelin and 14 for Cho. The shoot-out ended in a 5-2 win for Nelin.
Torbjörn Blomdahl, who already eliminated Lütfi Cenet in a shoot-out, 8-2, launched his new triumph in the next 'sixteen' round. The Swede faced Eddy Merckx after a thrilling match (40-40 in 22) and ended in a rarely shown clash in the shoot-out: Merckx started with 7, Blomdahl replied with 8. Dion Nelin defeated Martin Horn in the same round in the shoot-out (1-0) and Sameh Sidhom outplayed Roland Forthomme, 4-1. Dick Jaspers had to said goodbye to his world title after a loss to Semih Sayginer: 40-29 in 20).
In the next round (last 8), Blomdahl knocked out the last Dane in the tournament: Dion Nelin was beaten 40-19 in 17. The four players for the final day were Blomdahl, Sidhom, Sayginer and Nguyen, which eventually led to a final won by Torbjörn Blomdahl, followed by the revelation, Vietnamese Duc Anh Chien Nguyen.
Duc Anh Chien, the tension on his face for the last points in the final
Torbjörn Blomdahl finished the World championship with2,121 on average.
The new UMB ranking after Randers:
1 - Dick Jaspers 422
2 - Eddy Merckx 344
3 - Torbjörn Blomdahl 295
4 - Marco Zanetti 282
5 - Haeng-Jik Kim 280
6 - Sameh Sidhom 255
7 - Tayfun Tasdemir 255
8 - Tran Quyet Chien 242
9 - Frédéric Caudron 234, suspended
10 - Semih Sayginer 229
11 - Murat Naci Coklu 214
12 - Jae-Ho Cho 206
13 - Myung-Woo Cho 205
14 - Nguyen Duc Anh Chien 204
15 - Lütfi Cenet 203
16 - Jérémy Bury 193
17 - Dani Sanchez 187
18 - Martin Horn 175
19 - Roland Forthomme 175
20 - Dion Nelin 173