Billiards: Tran Quyet Chien lost to the world's number 1 player

Tran Quyet Chien's opponent is too brave

In the round of 32 of the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards World Cup 2025, Tran Quyet Chien won all 3 matches, respectively against Berkay Karakurt (Türkiye) and 2 strong players from Korea, Kim Haeng-jik (3-time World Cup Billiards champion) and Choi Wang-young. Entering the knockout round, Vietnam's top 3-cushion carom player maintained his high form and had no difficulty winning against his compatriot Nguyen Dinh Quoc, with a score difference of 50-18. Before that, Dinh Quoc also played quite well, considered the "dark horse" of the tournament, when starting from the first qualifying round and reaching the round of 16.

Tran Quyet Chien currently owns 4 World Cup billiards championships.

PHOTO: THU BON

In the quarter-finals, Quyet Chien had a rematch with Kim Haeng-jik. The Korean player could not turn the situation around against Quyet Chien. The Vietnamese player scored a series of 13 points in the early stages of the match to gain the advantage and win convincingly 50-27. However, in the match to compete for a ticket to the final, Quyet Chien could not defeat the current world number 1 Dick Jaspers (Netherlands). Although he has passed the age of 60, Jaspers still shows remarkable stability. It can be seen that Quyet Chien is very afraid of Jaspers, as the Vietnamese player often loses in the knockout rounds.

Quyet Chien had reason to regret when he lost in the semi-final. The Vietnamese player led for most of the match, and at one point created an 11-point gap (27-16) with Jaspers. He even came very close to winning, when leading 47-41, then 48-44..., but in the decisive turns, the Vietnamese player was stuck in the finishing phase. Jaspers, who was more courageous, took advantage of the opportunity to come back and defeat Quyet Chien with a score of 50-48, after 30 turns.

Quyet Chien did not achieve his goal of winning the World Cup billiards championship for the second time at home in Ho Chi Minh City (the first time in 2018), as well as increasing his total World Cup billiards championship record to 5. However, he once again affirmed his position as the number 1 player in Vietnam at this time. In a tournament where many expected players were eliminated early, he somewhat brought joy to fans when he reached the semi-finals. Previously, the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City World Cup billiards champion Tran Duc Minh, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu and Chiem Hong Thai all stopped on the opening day, in the 4th qualifying round. Bao Phuong Vinh and Tran Thanh Luc (the first World Cup billiards champion of 2025 in Bogota in March) were also quickly eliminated with 3 losses in the round of 32.

Meanwhile, lesser-known players left their mark at the tournament held on home soil. Nguyen Dinh Quoc, Nguyen Nhu Le, Dao Van Ly and Le Thanh Tien all made it to the round of 16. In addition, young talent Nguyen Hoai Phong was also a name that was mentioned a lot, when he went from the first qualifying round to the fourth qualifying round. This is a commendable achievement for the player born in 2003, and this is his first time competing in a World Cup billiards tournament. Hoai Phong is considered a promising face of Vietnamese 3-cushion carom in the future.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/billiards-tran-quyet-chien-thua-cuc-dang-tiec-tay-co-so-1-the-gioi-185250525212209063.htm