3-Cushion
NEW YORK - On the first day of the last qualifications in the Verhoeven Open in New York, the Vietnamese Dinh Nai Ngo was one of the star players in a 35-in-8 match, the Dutchman Dick Jaspers scored the best average (2.800) over two rounds and the American Hugo Patino signed up with the best run (16). The star parade, with four players over two average and more, launched the new stage of the tournament on its way to the main draw. Two, three and sometimes four players in the groups are in the battle for the top two positions in the eight flights of seven. The rest of the field is almost out of the game after one day.
The world top, with Dick Jaspers, Dani Sánchez, Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx and the strong Asians in the field, already took the spotlights in the first skirmishes. In the eight groups of seven, the heat is on these days in the fight for the top two positions, to move up to the main draw with sixteen players in the knock-out.
Dinh Nai Ngo played the most striking match of the day against his countryman Quoc Vinh Tran, whom he knocked down 35-1 in 8 innings. The top of the world's ranking showed its ambitions as of the start. Dani Sánchez, Dick Jaspers, both over two average, Frédéric Caudron (just below 2.000) and Torbjörn Blomdahl (a modest 1.458) launched themselves for the group win. Roland Forthomme was strong in his first performances, like the Vietnameses Tran, Nguyen and Ngo.
Dick Jaspers recorded with 2.800 the best average over two laps. The best match was played by Vietnamese Dinh Nai Ngo. The highest run came from Hugo Patino: 16, followed by Roland Forthomme with 14.
The top five in averages after one day:
1 Dick Jaspers 2.800 (2 games)
2 Dinh Nai Ngo 2.593 (2)
3 Dani Sánchez 2.188 (2)
4 Roland Forthomme 2.000 (2)
5 Frédéric Caudron 1.944 (2).
The overview of the eight flights:
Group A:
The world champion Dani Sánchez heads with two wins against Marco Janssen (35 in 15) and Therese Klompenhouwer (25-11 in 17). Roland Forthomme is the strong second with 2.000 average. The Belgian jumped to victory against his Dutch team mate Raymon Groot with 35-13 in 14 with a final run of fourteen. Marco Janssen still has a chance for the top two positions with four points out of three. Therese Klompenhouwer has already been eliminated with three losses out of three.
The ranking:
1 Dani Sánchez 2-4-2.188-10
2 Roland Forthomme 2-4-2.000-14
3 Marco Janssen 3-4-1.153-6
4 Raymon Groot 2-2-1.043-7
5 Huberney Cataño 2-2-1.032-16
6 Ramon Rodriguez 2-0-0.942-4
7 Therese Klompenhouwer 3-0-0.816-6
Group B:
The flawless start of Dick Jaspers brings the Dutch to the top of the rankings of best averages. He overpowered Kang Lee in 10 and Raye Raskin in 15. Eddy Merckx (4 points, 1.556) and Martin Horn (4, 1.373) follow the leader. These three players will battle it out for the best two places. Luis Aveiga is a dangerous out side player with two out of two and 1.730.
The ranking:
1 Dick Jaspers 2-4-2.800-9
2 Eddy Merckx 2-4-1.556-7
3 Martin Horn 2-4-1.373-8
4 Luis Aveiga 2-2-1.730-11
5 Kang Lee 3-2-0.986-6
6 Sruong Pheavy 2-0-9.25-4
7 Raye Raskin 3-4-0.573-3
Group C:
The feeling is that Frédéric Caudron, after his two wins against Michael Jensen and Sang Jin Lee in 15 and 21, is the favorite for the win. Gerhard Kostistanski, making a striking come-back and Wan Young Choi are also undefeated after two laps.
The ranking:
1 Frédéric Caudron 2-4-1.944-7
2 Gerhard Kostistansky 2-4-1.750-10
3 Wan Young Choi 2-4-1.628-12
4 Miguel Torres 2-2-1.171-6
5 Michael Jensen 3-2-1.034-10
6 Wesley de Jaeger 2-0-0.776-5
7 Song Jin Lee 3-0-0.764-5
Group D:
The tension is on in this group with four contenders. Dong-Koong Kang is the leader before Sonny Cho and Torbjörn Blomdahl. Sameh Sidhom, one of the best in the prelims, already suffered one loss against Sonny Cho (35-26 in 26 innings). Peter Ceulemans already seems out with two losses against Sonny Cho and Sameh Sidhom.
The ranking:
1 Dong Koong Kang 2-4-1.750-9
2 Sonny Cho 2-4-1.556-7
3 Torbjörn Blomdahl 2-4-1.458-9
4 Sameh Sidhom 2-2-1.452-9
5 Mazin Shooni 3-2-0.747-7
6 Peter Ceulemans 2-0-1.314-4
7 Natsumi Higashiuchi 3-0-0.800-5
Group E:
The not yet well-known Vietnamese Duc Anh Chien Nguyen is the surprising leader with three wins, thanks to, among other things, a victory over Sung-Won Choi 25-21 in 20 and Hugo Patino in 18. The American Patino went full speed in a run of sixteen in the match against Nguyen. Jung-Han Heo was defeated by Tae Kyu Lee, but is definitely on the run for the top two, like Semih Sayginer, who lost to Nguyen 35-33 in 25.
The ranking:
1 Duc Anh Chien Nguyen 3-6-1.667-12
2 Sung-Won Choi 3-4-1.492-8
3 Semih Sayginer 2-2-1.659-12
4 Hugo Patino 2-2-1.488-16
5 Jung-Han Heo 2-2-1.357-8
6 Tae Kyu Lee 3-2-1.254-6
7 George Lteif 3-0-0.774-5
Group F:
The Korean Jae-Ho Cho and the Vietnamese Anh Vu Duong took advantage over the rest of the players in this group. Minh Cam Ma, strong in the prelim rounds, made a false start. William Oh, who played a prominent role in New York last year, is almost out now after two losses.
The ranking:
1 Jae-Ho Cho 3-6-1.419-7
2 Anh Vu Duong 3-6-1.382-10
3 Andres Lizarazo 3-2-1.023-7
4 Minh Cam Ma 2-2-1.175-7
5 Pedro Reyes 3-2-0.837-6
6 Dan Johansen 2-2-0.837-4
7 William Oh 2-0-0.790-4
Group G: Three contenders for two places: the two Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran and Nguyen Quoc Nguyen and the Belgian Eddy Leppens, who already had a stunning win against one of the favourites. Leppens outplayed Nguyen in a great match: 35-18 in 12.
The ranking:
1 Quyet Chien Tran 3-6-1.54-11
2 Eddy Leppens 2-4-1.892-10
3 Nguyen Quoc Nguyen 3-4-1.796-13
4 Seung Il Jung 2-2-1.489-7
5 Young Gull Lee 3-2-0.833-6
6 Javier Vera 2-0-1.148-7
7 Bert van Manen 3-0-1.000-6
Group H:
The leading role seems to be for Haeng-Jik Kim and Dinh Nai Ngo, both undefeated in this group. The Vietnamese played the best match of the tournament so far against Quoc Vinh Tran: 35-1 in 8/7, good for 4.375 of average.
The ranking:
1 Haeng-Jik Kim 3-6-1.641-8
2 Ding Nai Ngo 2-4-2.593-12
3 Quoc Vinh Tran 2-2-1.200-7
4 Allan Jensen 3-2-1.046-6
5 Martin Olesen 2-2-0.895-6
5 Nalle Olsen 3-2-0.965-9
7 Tay-Dien Truong 3-0-0.741-6.Belangrijkste partijen in de eerste twee ronden op vrijdag:
Most remarkable matches on Friday in the first rounds:
10.00 (American time):
Dick Jaspers-Luis Aveiga
Frédéric Caudron-Wesley de Jaeger
Dong-Koong Kang-Sameh Sidhom
Roland Forthomme-Therese Klompenhouwer
Ramon Rodriguez-Marco Janssen
Dani Sánchez-Huberney Cataño
11.45:
Eddy Leppens-Javier Vera
Quyet Chien Tran-Nguyen-Quoc Nguen
Torbjörn Blomdahl-Peter Ceulemans
Jae-Ho Cho-Andres Lizarazo
Sung-Won Choi-Hugo Patino
Jung-Han Heo-Semih Sayginer.
(All matches live on kozoom.com)
The top of the rankings after the qualification rounds (22 poules), which we still owe you:
The group winners:
1 Quyet Chien Tran (1.543)
2 Haeng-Jik Kim (1.645)
3 Dinh Nai Ngo (1,471)
4 Nguyen Quoc Nguyen (1.515)
5 Anh Vu Duong (1.645)
6 Jung-Han Heo (1.667)
7 Dong-Koong Kang (1.420)
8 Gerhard Kostistansky (1.136)
9 Martin Horn (1.488)
10 Huberney Cataño (1.147)
11 Raymon Groot (1.190)
12 Luis Aveiga (1.146)
13 Wan Young Choi (1.453)
14 Sonny Cho (1.116)
15 Duc Anh Chien Nguyen (1.344)
16 Andres Lizarazo (1.202)
17 Young Gull Lee (0.740)
18 Allan Jensen (0.947)
19 Martin Olesen (0.962)
20 Javier Vera (1,206)
21 William Oh (1.337)
22 Hugo Patino (1.025).
The top five in averages consisted of two Koreans and three Vietnamese:
1 Jung-Han Heo 1.667
2 Haeng-Jik Kim 1.645
2 Anh Vu Duong 1.645
4 Quyet Chien Tran 1.543
5 Nguyen Quoc Nguyen 1.515
Danish player Lars Dunch had the best run with 14. The best match was from Sameh Sidhom, 25 in 8. The Asian players took the first seven places.
The best known numbers 2 in the groups:
23 Sameh Sidhom
24 Wesley de Jaeger
25 Sruong Pheavy
26 Ramon Rodriguez
27 Roland Forthomme
28 Eddy Merckx
30 Peter Ceulemans
31 Semih Sayginer
33 Bert van Manen
36 Eddy Leppens
42 Marco Janssen
43 Therese Klompenhouwer.
There was a prominent role for the ladies in the men's tournament in the preliminary rounds. Sruong Pheavy was 25th, Natsumi Higashiuchi 39th and Therese Klompenhouwer 43th.