3-Cushion
PORTO - Three Spaniards, the Korean Ji Hun Ahn and the young Dutchman Michael Vink (19) top the ranking after the first real day of qualification at the Porto World Cup. Michael Vink and Henk Blauwblomme played the best matches (30 points, twenty innings), Portuguese Joao Pintes, who is eliminated, made the highest run of ten.
Michael Vink brought the experience of a Junior World championship to the World Cup in Porto, where his older brother Robert was knocked down by the European junior champion Antonio Montes. The youngest Vink did much better and bested the Portuguese Pedro Pais in his last match in twenty innings.
The Belgian Henk Blauwblomme, one of the best players in two Grand Prix tournaments in his country this year, also started with a win in twenty innings. Then, in his next performance in the group, he was defeated by Jose Antonio Carrasco (30-24 in 26). The Belgian qualified through the back door as the best reserve with 1.173 and is still in next round.
The Korean Ji Hun Ahn headed the field with four match points and 1.395 average. Thirteen of the sixteen players in the group of winners showed up with the maximum match points. Raymon Groot from the Netherlands, Luis Cuenca and Vitor Fernando closed the row with three and two match points. Luis Cuenca was the worst of them with 0.355 average.
Today, Tuesday, the tournament continues with some very interesting groups. The Korean junior star Myung Woo Cho, who won the qualification for the World championship in his country last weekend with 1.600 average, faces the Dutch Michael Vink and Jim Anneveldt.
Ji Hu Anh is in a group with the German billiards photographer Edmund Mevissen. Juan David Zapata meets an Egyptian and a Turkish opponent. Antonio Montes has to deal with his compatriot Esteve Mata, two other Spaniards, David Martinez and Jose Maria Mas meet the Dutchman Lennart Schrauwen.
Can Capak is facing the Korean Oh Bok Cho, Alipio Jorge, the organizer, plays in his group against the Spaniard Carlos Crespo and Dutchman Alvaro Schepers. Henk Blauwblomme meets in the group Vitor Fernandes and Tuncay Aslan.
Dutchman Michael Vink (19) interviewd by Porto tv after his match
The rankings on Monday (match points, average):
1 Ji Hun Ahn (Korea) 4-1.395
2 Juan David Zapata (Spain) 4-1.090
3 Antonio Montes (Spain) 4-1.052
4 Jose Antonio Carrasco (Spain) 4-1.000
5 Michael Vink (Netherlands) 4-0.967
6 Lennart Schrauwen (Netherlands) 4-0.923
7 Fernando Silva (Portugal) 4-0.882
8 Volkan Cetin (Netherlands) 4-0.882
9 Joaquim Torres (Portugal) 4-0.779
10 Juan Bote (Spain) 4-0.769
11 Alvaro Schepers (Netherlands) 4-0.659
12 Juan Casal (Spain) 4-0.652
13 Pedro Brandao (Portugal) 4-0.618
14 Raymon Groot (Netherlands) 3-0.895
15 Luis Cuenca (Spain) 3-0.355
16 Vitor Fernandes (Portugal) 2-0.901.
