Bao Phương Vinh (standing on the left on the podium) celebrates winning the runner-up place of the Ankara World Cup three-cushion event in Turkey on Saturday. — Photo nld.com.vn

Billiards

HÀ NỘI — Billiard player Bao Phương Vinh finished second at the Ankara World Cup three-cushion event in Turkey on Saturday.

Vinh lost to South Korean player Heo Jung-han in the finals, however his performance was enough to propel him to world No 4, while his compatriot Trần Quyết Chiến officially claimed the top spot in the world rankings according to the World Carom Billiards Federation (UMB).

Vinh had a strong start in the final, leading 10-2 against Heo, who had earlier eliminated Chiến in the quarter-finals. But Heo fought back to level the match at 11-11 and then pulled away, leading 26-19 after 22 moves in the first round. Heo went on to win the final, 50-31.

Despite the loss, Vinh's finish earned him 54 additional ranking points, moving him from 8th to 4th place in the UMB rankings, the best ranking in his career so far which has included two individual and team world championship titles.

Meanwhile, Chiến's consistent performances have seen him become the new world No 1, the first Vietnamese athlete to achieve this feat in an individual sport. Chiến's accolades include three world cup titles, a world team championship, multiple Asia titles and a gold medal at the SEA Games.

According to the UMB's updated rankings, Chiến leads both the World Players Ranking and the UMB Events Ranking. In the World Players Ranking, he has 371 points, 33 more than the next-best player, Kim Jun-tae and 40 more than third-placed Dick Jaspers.

With Vinh and Chiến both in the top five of the world rankings, other Vietnamese players, such as Chiêm Hồng Thái (No 22) and Trần Thanh Lực (No 23), have also made significant strides in the UMB rankings. VNS