Vietnamese cueist makes comeback to take down world primary
Bao Phuong Vinh at a billiard match in Vietnam in 2022. Picture courtesy of Bao Phuong Vinh
Bao Phuong Vinh made an incredible comeback towards world’s high billiard participant Dick Jaspers on the group stage of Three-Cushion World Cup in Las Vegas Friday.
After shedding to American participant Javier Vera within the first recreation, Vinh was below must-win stress within the subsequent recreation with Jaspers. Earlier than the break, Jaspers led Vinh 23-8. After the sport resumed, Vinh shortened the hole to 9 factors, however Jaspers prolonged the lead once more, 31-21, 34-25 then 36-31. Within the essential second of the sport, Vinh scored 9 consecutive factors to finish the comeback and received 40-36.
The victory over Jaspers created momentum for Vinh to win his remaining recreation of group A towards Belgian participant Peter Ceulemans with a rating of 40-16 after 20 turns. Within the different recreation, Jaspers defeated Vera however that was not sufficient for the world primary to advance. Vinh and Ceulemans topped group A and entered the spherical of 16.
The comeback of Bao Phuong Vinh towards Dick Jaspers on the Three-Cushion World Cup in Las Vegas on March 2, 2023
That is the primary time a Vietnamese participant defeated Jaspers at World Cup, since Tran Quyet Chien’s victory on the World Cup of Pool in March 2022.
Vinh, 28, is 86th on world rating whereas Jaspers, 58, has been on the highest since December 2018.
The second Vietnamese participant to make it previous the group stage is Nguyen Duc Anh Chien, when he topped group D.
The remaining Vietnamese gamers within the group stage are Tran Quyet Chien and Dao Van Ly. Chien has received the primary two video games and practically superior, whereas Ly must defeat South Korea’s Cho Myung-woo within the final recreation to keep away from elimination.
The Three-Cushion World Cup, happening Feb. 26 to March 4 in Las Vegas, is the primary billiards world competitors in 2023. It incorporates 4 qualifiers, one group stage and one knockout part. The group stage has 32 gamers divided into eight teams.
