3-Cushion

Trần Thanh Lực of Việt Nam seen in action during the 76th World Championship 3-Cushion Individual which closed on September 29 in Bình Thuận Province. VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's Trần Thanh Lực claimed the silver in the individual category at the 76th World Three-Cushion Championship, which closed on September 29 in Bình Thuận Province.

It was the first time that Lực took part in a world tournament, and he made a strong impression despite his defeat in the final match.

South Korean Cho Myung-woo, the world No. 5, got the gold in a 50-23 win against Lực after 20 innings in the final, which attracted attention in many ways.

The 26-year-old Cho was already a world-class player, while 34-year-old Lực was also a strong player who defeated many other strong players in this competition -- including highest-ranked player in the world -- on his journey to the finals.

Cho gave his best performance in defeating world No. 7 Eddy Merckx of Belgium. Meanwhile Lực, ranked No. 21, won against the world's No. 1, Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands, in the semi-finals. Lực also beat European powerhouses one after another, like Spaniard Ruben Legazpi (round of 32), Italian Marco Zanetti (round of 16) and Frenchman Jeremy Bury (quarter-finals), thereby saving the host country's pride.

Lực, who recorded an average of three points (3.125) in the semi-finals against Jaspers, made several mistakes in the finals. On the other hand, Cho did not show his strength in explosive long hits, but he easily won the match with consistent scoring.

Trần Thanh Lực bags a silver medal in his first time at the world event.

Cho overwhelmed his opponent from the beginning. He finished the first half with a score of 22-5 by gaining consecutive runs from the first pitch to the ninth inning during the break.

In the second half, Lực's pursuit began. He added seven points in the 10th to 12th innings and came close with a score of 25-12. However, there were no more threatening attacks.

In contrast, Cho did not have any big innings, but he maintained the gap with consistent scoring.

Lực chased him to 38-23 with nine high runs in the 18th inning, and the excitement could be felt in the stands. However, he could not continue the trend.

In the end, Cho put an end to the game with 11 high runs, including a lucky shot at the end in the 20th inning attack, leading to a final score of 49-23.

Jaspers and Merckx tied for the third place. VNS