World champion Bao Phuong Vinh was eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup.

South Korean player Bao Phuong Vinh stopped at the group stage of the 3-cushion carom World Cup for the second consecutive time, after winning the world championship.

Because they are in the world's Top 10, Phuong Vinh and Tran Quyet Chien were able to go straight to the group stage of the World Cup in Seoul, competing today, November 10. However, the two top Vietnamese players were both eliminated, with only Chiem Hong Thai advancing to the round of 16.

Bao Phuong Vinh at the world 3-cushion carom tournament in Ankara, Turkey on the evening of September 10, 2023, when he unexpectedly won the championship. Photo: UMB

Phuong Vinh was in Group G with veteran Eddy Merckx, Gwendal Marechal and Cha Myeong-Jong. The 2023 world champion beat Marechal 40-29 in the first match, but lost both matches to Merckx and Cha, 17-40 and 31-40 respectively. Phuong Vinh finished bottom of the group, while Merckx and Cha advanced.

Phuong Vinh won the World Championships exactly two months ago, in Ankara, Turkey, despite having been playing professionally for less than two years. The World Championships take place once a year, while the World Cups are held about six or seven times. The 28-year-old's next goal is to win the World Cup, but in the last two tournaments in the Netherlands and Korea, he was eliminated in the group stage.

Two-time champion Quyet Chien also stopped in the group stage of the World Cup in Seoul, one round early. He was in Group E, lost 32-40 to Peter Ceulemans, then 27-40 to Tolgahan Kiraz. In the final match, which was a formality, the 39-year-old continued to lose 25-40 to Kim Jun-Tae and went home empty-handed. If he had won this tournament, Quyet Chien could have climbed to number one in the world.

The only Vietnamese representative to reach the knockout round was Chiem Hong Thai, who topped Group F. He beat world number seven Sameh Sidhom 40-33 in the first match, then drew 40-40 with Jeremy Bury in the second. In the deciding match, the 24-year-old averaged 2.5 points per shot to defeat Gerhard Kostistansky 40-19.

Hong Thai has had the best results among Vietnamese players in recent World Cups. He reached the semi-finals in Porto, the quarter-finals in Veghel and is now in the round of 16 in Seoul. He is currently ranked 19th in the world, and if he maintains his form, he could close in on the Top 10.

The World Cup in Korea took place from November 6 to November 12 in Seoul. There were two other players in the Top 10 who were eliminated in the group stage, the legends Torbjorn Blomdahl and Tayfun Tasdemir.

Tomorrow, November 11, the tournament will take place in the round of 16 and quarterfinals. Hong Thai will play in the round of 16 with world number 31 Ruben Legazpi (Spain) at 12:00, Hanoi time.

Xuan Binh

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