Tran Quyet Chien faces a major challenge.

Exactly one year after winning the Veghel World Cup billiards championship, Tran Quyet Chien is still diligently searching for his next title. The Antwerp World Cup billiards 2025 in Belgium could be the moment for him to return to the top, but the road ahead is also full of challenges.

Why was Tran Quyet Chien given special treatment?

In the Netherlands in October 2024, Tran Quyet Chien impressed the world of billiards by defeating a series of formidable opponents, most memorably his victory over "genius" Frederic Caudron to win his fourth World Cup title. But since then, his journey seems to have stalled. Six World Cup billiards tournaments have passed, and the player from Ha Tinh has yet to claim the top spot again, despite showing consistent form and reaching the semi-finals and finals at times.

Tran Quyet Chien is seeking his first World Cup billiards title in 2025.

PHOTO: THU BON

At the Antwerp Billiards World Cup in Belgium from October 6-12, 2025, fans are eagerly awaiting Tran Quyet Chien's return to winning ways. However, the challenge for the Vietnamese player in Antwerp is considerable. Quyet Chien is in Group C with two veteran players of European 3-cushion carom billiards: Martin Horn (Germany) and Roland Forthomme (Belgium), both two-time World Cup billiards champions. Horn is known for his scientific playing style, while Forthomme is particularly formidable when playing on home soil. Furthermore, the group includes a player who qualified through the preliminary rounds, usually someone currently in top form.

Tran Quyet Chien, with his high world ranking, was given a bye into the main draw (32 players), which started on October 10th. In the main draw, the 32 players are divided equally into 8 groups, playing a round-robin format. Only the top two players from each group advance to the knockout round. In a group with formidable opponents, Quyet Chien is still considered the strongest contender. However, the Vietnamese player needs to make the most of every opportunity and every point.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tran-quyet-chien-doi-mat-thu-thach-lon-185251006214105987.htm