DONGHAE CITY - The billiards world is on the eve of the World three cushion championship in Donghae City, Korea, the country called a paradise for billiard players. The starting line-up includes 48 players coming from all over the world and most of all from the major billiard countries. For the top global players, this event is the most important championship of the year, being played for the 74th time. The highest position in the world rankings is held by Dutchman Dick Jaspers already since 8 December 2018. He won the World Cup in Hurghada that day in a final against Belgian Frédéric Caudron (40-34 in 21) and climbed to the top position in the world federation, the UMB rankings. Jaspers from then strengthened that position as the world number one in the most successful years of his career, building it to a comfortable lead over his main rivals. For the first time in those years, Jaspers is under pressure now at the World Championships in Donghae City, Korea, because Spaniard Dani Sánchez, crowned European champion this year, can make a bid for the top position and knock the Dutchman off his throne. Sánchez should then have to finish higher than Jaspers. The World championship in Donghae City starts on Wednesday 9 November and lasts until Sunday 13 November.
While the current difference in the rankings is still 130 points (594 for Jaspers, 464 for Sánchez), Dick Jaspers forfeits in the Korean port city the 120 points he earned as 2021 world champion in Sharm El Sheikh. There, Sánchez gained just 12 points, so the difference is now only 10 points at the start of the World championship: Jaspers 474, Sánchez 464.
Before the World championship in Donghae City, a city of some 95,000 people, 120 miles from Seoul on the Japan Sea, where the world championship will be played from 9-13 November, Kozoom made a small overview of how much the positions are under pressure and gathered short interviews with the world's top five players during and shortly after their trip to South Korea in the run-up to the World championship.
These top five before the start of the World Cup is: 1 Dick Jaspers 594 points
2 Dani Sánchez 476
3 Marco Zanetti 319
4 Torbjörn Blomdahl 316
5 Sameh Sidhom 314.
Dick Jaspers
Dani Sánchez
Marco Zanetti
Torbjörn Blomdahl
Sameh Sidhom
Dick Jaspers (57) is the defending champion and won his last of five world titles now in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, 2021, in the final against Turk Murat Naci Coklu. The Dutchman also won the world title in 2000 (Saint Etienne), 2004 (Rotterdam), 2011 (Lima) and 2018 (Cairo). Jaspers never lost a World championship final and was third on the podium six times.
Dick Jaspers, arriving in Korea this weekend: ''I don't have too high expectations and don't feel extra pressure. My World Cup in Veghel was not top, but I want to quietly grow towards this World championship and hope to reach my top form there. I see the top 10 players, as always, as the main contenders, but it could also be a complete outsider. With the 'oldies' in this World field (myself, Blomdahl, Zanetti), we don't have many years left, but we can still come up with surprises. Just look at Torbjörn in Veghel, I really granted it to him, because he is a great sportsman, always sporty and correct and still with a fantastic drive.''
Dani Sánchez (48) won his last of four world titles in 2016 in Bordeaux in the final against Haeng Jik Kim. The Spaniard took his other world titles in 1998 (Rezé), 2005 (Lugo) and 2010 (Sluiskil). He stood on the World podium a total of eight times, twice second, twice third.
Dani Sánchez, arrived in Korea on 3 November: ''I wanted to have time enough to cope with the jet lag, but can't stay long in Korea this time. So I have to take care of my business in Korea during the championship. I know there is a chance that I can challenge Dick Jaspers at the top position, but I am not thinking about that now. It all depends how things go at this World's, I want to play my game, not count on luck, but play well myself. I have to believe that I can win.''
Marco Zanetti (60) won his last of two world titles in 2008, Sankt Wendel in the final against Torbjörn Blomdahl. The Italian won his first title in Randers, 2002. He was at the podium 11 times, apart from twice as winner, twice as number two and seven times as number three.
Marco Zanetti, en route to Seoul, does not want to venture any predictions. ''Hard to say who I have to consider big contenders. Anything can happen and is possible in top-three cushion, we have seen it so many times. Do I feel more pressure than in other big tournaments? No. And is it nice to play here with Alessio D'Agata, the youngest of the field? You can please ask Alessio.''
Torbjörn Blomdahl (60) won his last of seven world titles in 2019 in Randers, Denmark, in the final against Vietnamese Duc Anh Chien Nguyen. The Swede won his first world title in 1987 in Cairo, then in 1988, 1991 and 1992 as winner of the World Cup cycle, in 1997 in Grubbenvorst and 2015 in Bordeaux. Blomdahl stood on a World champ podium 16 times: 7 times winner, 8 times second, 1 time third.
Torbjörn Blomdahl, with Dani Sánchez already arrived in Korea a week ago: ''I made the trip with a very nice feeling after my victory in the World Cup. More than anything, the match against Semih Saginer in the eighth final was very special, I still think about that. I can't remember ever playing a match with so many wonderful shots. We have been here since almost one week. I practice five hours a day with D'Agata, Jun Tae Kim, Maréchal and a lot of Koreans. And yes, I feel at home here, it is a paradise for billiard players. In these days before the World's, I don't do much other than usual. Only practice more than at home. Besides that, I eat well, sleep and walk. I surely will do my best and want to fight to get as far as possible. With one eye on the ranking: a chance to become number 3 in the world.''
Sameh Sidhom (35), the youngest player in the top five, has never won a world title and was third once, in 2019 in Randers, where he was defeated in the semifinals by the later winner Torbjörn Blomdahl 40-18 in 10 innings. On the all-time World championship rankings, Sidhom is the shared number 61 among others with Sang Chun Lee, Martin Horn and Roberto Rodriguez.
Sameh Sidhom, just arrived in Seoul today: ''I'm going to look where I can prepare for this important event in the coming days. Speaking about pressure, there is always pressure at this high level. It's not about how many points you can lose, but how many you can win. And there are a lot of them at this event. I have no specific preference for playing in Korea, I just feel perfect everywhere I have to play. It's not a long stay this time, just this week. But of course, Korea is a special place with all its billiard players, spectators and media coverage. And the chances? I guess there are about 20 contenders who can win, for sure it will be a wonderful fight.''
The best positions at a World Championship are rewarded with the highest ranking points that can be earned in a tournament. The winner receives 120 points, number two 81, numbers 3 and 4 get 57 points, numbers 5 to 8 are rewarded with 39 points, further 24 points for 9-16, 12 points for 17-24 and eight for 25-32.
Raymond Ceulemans is the all-time record holder world titles. The Belgian won the championship 21 times, including the first time in 1963 in Neuss, Germany. Ceulemans was the world champion 11 times in a row and then won 10 more times, including his last world title in Luxembourg 2001.
The record overall average at a World Championship is held by Dick Jaspers with 2,352 in Cairo, 2018
The record highest run is on Martin Horn's name with 20 in Sharm El Sheikh, 2021
The record best match was realized by Dong Koong Kang, 40 in 7 innings (5,714), 2013 in Antwerp
The record best game to 50 points is for Martin Horn, 50 in 12 (4,166), Sharm El Sheikh 2021.
The rankings before the start of the World Championship in Donghae city with the points from the previous World's deducted (current position in the rankings in brackets):
1 Jaspers 474 (1)
2 Sánchez 464 (2)
3 Blomdahl 304 (4)
4 Sidhom 290 (5)
5 Zanetti 262 (3)
6 Tran 258 (6)
7 Sayginer 249 (7)
8 HJ Kim 230 (9)
9 Merckx 225 (8)
10 Tasdemir 198 (10)
11 Heo 188 (15)
12 Horn 174 (11)
13 Bury and Nguyen 172 (13 and 14)
15 Polychronopoulos 151 (17)
16 Coklu 138 (12).
The composition of the qualifying groups at the 2022 World championship, after Ecuador's Javier Teran cancelled and Korea's Su Yeong Park is the substitute:
A: Jaspers - Maréchal - TTT Nguyen
B: Sanchez - Piedrabuena - Aveiga
C: Zanetti - Abdin - Kostistansky
D: QC Tran - Legazpi - Abousaleh
E: Sidhom - Park - De Bruijn
F: Horn - Forthomme - Soares
G: Tasdemir - Seo - Hwang
H: Blomdahl - Garcia - Vera
I: Sayginer - Abu Tayeh - Novak
J: Merckx - Nelin - Orak
K: Bury - Nilsson - Karaca
L: HJ Kim - CB Lee - Umeda
M: Coklu - Gonzales - D Morales
N: JH Heo - MW Cho - Hernandez
O: JT Kim - Polychronopoulos - D'Agata
P: DAC Nguyen - SW Choi - HC Thai.