3-Cushion
VEGHEL - There are exactly three weeks to go before the World Cup in Veghel opens the billiard arena on Sunday, November 7, for the first major, global and official event after the long COVID stop. The world's top three-cushion players and many players for the preliminaries are already looking forward to the new start in the Dutch billiard enclave. That will surely be one with top billings, like Sánchez-Horn, Blomdahl-Bury, HaengJik Kim-Coklu, Zanetti-Klompenhouwer, Tasdemir-Cenet and Merckx-Choi on the first day of the main tournament. The TV images on Ziggo Sport will provide billiard- and sports fans in the Netherlands and far beyond with many hours of wonderful and high-quality viewing pleasure.
The tournament calendar for the first five days, leading up to the final day on Saturday 13 November, has been announced. On Sunday, 7 November, the preliminary rounds start with among others two Dutch matches: Jack Wijnen-Rudy Gerritsen, Menno de Vries-Frans van Schaik and Sander Jonen-Paul Bruijstens, followed by some Belgian 'clashes', such as Mik Durwael-Thierry Duson Philip Coenen-Eric de Busser.And also at the tables on those first days are for example Irena Michalkova, the Czech lady who has played many international women's tournaments, UMB board member Herbert Thür, youthful Turkish promise Berkay Karakurt, well-known Austrian Gerhard Kostistansky and Dutch junior champion Joris van 't Zelfden.
All those players in the pre-rounds are divided into groups of three players, of whom one goes to the next match day. That also applies to the second day on Monday, November 8, when many players from the home country will provide a great atmosphere in the stands: Jeffrey Jorissen, Harrie van de Ven, Dave Christiani, Raymund Swertz, Joey de Kok and Huub Wilkowski. With many Belgians too, such as Bart Ceulemans, Francis Forton, Ronny Brants and the Frenchmen Jean Reverchon and Maxime Panaia.
On the third day, Tuesday 9 November, Jean van Erp will start, no doubt supported by a large group of fans. Also starting for the Netherlands: Raimond Burgman, Ludo Kools and Volkan Cetin, for the USA former North Holland player Raymond Groot and for Colombia former PBA player Robinson Morales.
The last qualification day, the gateway to the main tournament (Wednesday, November 10), will have a top line-up including Jung-Han Heo, Dion Nelin, Nikos Polychronopoulos, Michel Nilsson, Roland Forthomme, Peter Ceulemans, Jose Juan Garcia, Jacob Haack Sörensen, Barry van Beers, Jun Tae Kim and Rui Costa. The last selection will be played with 12 groups of three players: the winners of the groups advange to the main tournament, supplemented, on match points and average, by the best three runners-up from the groups.
The seeded players and the wildcards, who automatically start in the main draw, then get the additions from the last qualifications. With 32 players, it starts first on Friday with eight groups of four players, of which the first two of each group qualify for the knock-outs with 16. That schedule is finished on 11 November.
The remaining sixteen players then meet in the eighth finals, which are played at 12.00 and 14.00 on Friday 12 November, followed that same day by the quarter-finals with eight at 17.00 and 19.00.
On the final day, Sunday 13 November, the semi-finals will be played at 12.00 and 14.00 and the final at 17.00.
For the main tournament with 32 players, the seeded players have already been assigned to the eight groups.
The first draws (each group supplemented to four players):
Group A: Dick Jaspers and Pedro Gonzalez (Colombia)
Group B: Marco Zanetti with Therese Klompenhouwer
Group C: Eddy Merckx, Sung-Won Choi and Sam van Etten
Group D: Tayfun Tasdemir and Lütfi Cenet
Group E: Torbjörn Blomdahl and Jérémy Bury
Group F: Dani Sánchez and Martin Horn
Group G: HaengJik Kim and Murat Naci Coklu
Group H: Semih Sayginer and Sameh Sidhom.