3-Cushion
SINOP - The World championship for women has lost the only two players who achieved one (Natsumi Higashiuchi) or even three world titles (Orie Hida) in the short history of the women's three-cushion. The remaining players in the semifinals are from the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and ... Belgium. Danielle le Bruyn (57), who had announced more or less that this is her last World championship, was the executor for Natsumi Higashiuchi, the current and outgoing World champion (25-24).
Therese Klompenhouwer is the most logical player in the semi-final, Yuko Nishimoto the only Japanese and Shin Young Lee the revelation of the tournament with her striking uphill matches. The former Korean champion (2013) only improved after a poor start (25, 58 innings) with matches in 45 and 20 innings. In the quarters, Lee played against the strong veteran Orie Hida even the best match of the tournament so far: 25-21 in 16 innings.
The World championship was only played for times in history of billiards: three times won by Japanese Orie Hida and once by Japanese Natsumi Higashiuchi. These two players are out of the game now, what means that we will welcome a brand new champion on the final day.
Natsumi Higashiuchi left the podium with a certain resignation. ,,I've made too many wrong choices in this tournament'', she said. ,,I was not very lucky in my choices with solutions, directions, spin, I don't know how to explain, but that is why I lost. I wil try to be there again, at the World championship for the next two years. With more practice to make less easy mistakes.''
Therese Klompenhouwer is now the big contender, based on her regular matches, but she will need a hard fight. The Dutch star is already facing Shin Young Lee in the semifinals, who she has never met before in a tournament. ,,I had already seen that she can play very nice, although she didn't play high averages in her first matches '', Therese analyzed her opponent.
,,I feel really strong here, but not as in the World Cup in Korea so far. The start of my matches was usually a little too sloppy. Tomorrow, on the final day, I must be sharp from the start, because the level is getting higher.''
The preliminary rounds at the World Cup were completed today with Therese Klompenhouwer (6 points 1.153), Orie Hida (6, 0.872), Karina Jetten (6, 0.765), and Natsumi Higashiuchi (0.681) as group winners. The second seeded players were Yuko Nishimoto (4, 06.14), Sin Young Lee (5, 0.609), Danielle le Bruyn (4, 0.586), and Helga Mitterböck (4, 0.472).
It was mainly remarkable that the Turkish players were all eliminated in the preliminary stages. Gülsen Degener lost the decisive match to Higashiuchi. The young Turkish Guzin Karakasli showed to be one of the new talents in ladies three cushion.
Quarter-finals:
Shin Yeon Lee and Orie Hida met each other in a thrilling fight, which was still in balance after fifteen innings (21-20). Then, the Korean showed her explosive fighting spirit and finished off with four: 25-21 in 16 (1.563).
Therese Klompenhouwer was in a winning mood after fifteen innings against Helga Mitterböck (15-5) and ended up in style 25-10 in 21 innings (1.190).
Yuko Nishimoto took an early lead against Karina Jetten (13-7), ran out to 19-12 in 23 and finished after a run of five, 25-16 in 25.
Danielle le Bruyn faced a hopeles backlog in her match against Natsumi Higashiuchi (18-9). The Belgian fighter came back in the match at 20-16 and attacked with four to the win: 25-24 in 37 innings.
The semi-finals tomorrow, Saturday (Turkish time):
10.00: Nishimoto-Le Bruyn
11.30: Klompenhouwer-Lee.
The final is at 15.00.