The fusses and fits, ups and downs at the World Cup

09/27/2017

Published by frits bakker

Turkish player Tolgahan Kiraz, in top 5 among the Korean star players

CHEONGJU CITY - What makes a player start with a 2.500 average and follow it up with less than 1.000 two hours later? And what happens to a well-known, world class female player who starts with 14 in six innings and finishes with 19 in 19? Same match table, same venue, same balls, same actors. We know it as the fusses and fits, the ups and downs that make billiards both fascinating and unpredictable. The third day at the World Cup in Cheongju city turned into such a day of extremes.

Three Koreans topped the ranking with great averages, 2.608, 1.935 and 1.875. But what happened to the two South Americans in this World Cup who belong to Colombia's best? Carlos Campino is out with 1.024, Robinson Morales with 1.243. The small European bunch has been reduced: the only two Germans players out, Therese Klompenhouwer out. Only Tolgahan Kiraz, Kostas Kokkoris, Birol Uymaz and Jean Paul de Bruijn may return in the final qualifications.

What do you think of Jong Won Kim, around the 1500th position on the world rankings, because he never appeared on the world's stage? Well, folks..., let me join the World Cup, said the 42-year-old Korean to his friends in the billiards club in Busan. Two days of survival and then, on the third, an absolute world class match. On top of the third day ranking with 4 match points and a 2.608 average out of two matches, that is not so far away from the world tournament average record. And an amazing run of 20! Jong Won Kim, you said..., never heard of him.

Was it his best day ever at the match table, like Byung Seob Kim on Tuesday (2.222), now knocked out with 0.981? The famous phenomenon of ups and downs, let's say. But nice to see, players in a glorious day, shining at the world stage. The numbers two and three on the daily list, Min Gu Kang and Hae Myoung Jung, are also sudden star players who make it difficult for European and other famous players in the run-up to make it to the main draw on Thursday. The ranking speaks for itself. Which better known players will not return tomorrow? Jose Juan Garcia, Robinson Morales, Ronny Lindemann, Gökhan Salman, Dustin Jäschke, Therese Klompenhouwer and Hideaki Kobayashi.

Tolgahan Kiraz made a strong impression with four match points and 1.764, the same for Birol Uymaz and Kostas Kokkoris with 1.428 and 1,395l. Jean Paul de Bruijn survived a match point in his first and far-from-his-best match. His second opponent, Jung Wan Lim, won his first with a 2.500 average, but was no shadow of that in his next performance.

Jung Ju Shin recovered from a poor performance at the Junior World championship in Spain and started with a wonderful 1.621 over two matches. Birol Uymaz overpowered Carlos Campino 30-12 in 18. Kostas Kokkoris defeated two Koreans in 21 and 22 innings. Juan Jose Garcia was penalized for one miss against Hyun Woo Kim, but two other Colombians, Robinson Morales and Carlos Campino were not good enough by far to shine at a World Cup.

The outcome of the third day leads to the next stages for the final qualifying day, with four instead of three runners up who can qualify for the main draw.

Group A: Sung-Won Choi, Jun Tanaka, Ten Le Thanh
Group B: Tayfun Tasdemir, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Kostas Kokkoris
Group C: Eddy Leppens, Hyun Woo Kim, Birol Uymaz
Group D: Dong Koong Kang, Quang Hao Truon, Min Gu Kang
Group E: Semih Sayginer, Seung Jin Lee, Woo Chai Gil
Group F: Myung-Woo Cho, Chi Yeon Cho, Kwang Yeol Park
Group G: Minh Cam Ma, Choong-Bok Lee, Jung Ju Shin
Group H: Anh Vu Duong, Xuan Cuong Ma, Duc Anh Chien Nguyen
Group I: Javier Palazón, Dvid Martinez, Tolgahan Kiraz
Group J: Lütfi Cenet, Dinh Nai Ngo, Hyung Bum Hwang
Group K: Jae Guen Kim, Roland Forthomme, Jun Hyuk Im
Group L: Hyung King Kim, Can Capak, Young Won Kim.

Wednesday's day ranking:
1 Jong Won Kim 4-2.608-20
2 Jun Hyuk Im 4-1.935-10
3 Hyung Bum Hwang 4-1.875-8
4 Tolgahan Kiraz 4-1.764-8
5 Duc Anh Chien Nguyen 4-1.666-6
6 Jung Ju Shin 4-1.621-9
7 Kwang Yeol Park 4-1.538-11
8 Woo Chai Gil 4-1.500-8
9 Min Gu Kang 4-1.428-8
10 Birol Uymaz 4-1.428-7
11 Kostas Kokkoris 4-1.395-8
12 Tanh Tien Le 4-1.395-8
13 Jan Tanaka 4-0.983-4
14 Jean Paul de Bruijn 3-1.052-6
15 Hyun Woo Kim 2-1.575-7
16 Quang Hao Trupng 2-1.160-7.