Vietnamese cueist Trần Thanh Lực has just won the first World Cup title of his career. — Photo The Billiard

HÀ NỘI – Vietnamese cueist Trần Thanh Lực has emerged as the new champion of three-cushion billiards at the 2025 Bogota World Cup in Colombia.

In the early hours of Monday (Vietnamese time), Lực triumphed over former world champion Tayfun Tasdemir of Turkey, winning 50-47 in a thrilling final match.

From the outset, Lực controlled the game, establishing a lead that he maintained throughout. In the 13th inning, with a score of 15-12, he executed a remarkable seven-point series, extending his advantage to 22-12. He continued to dominate, reaching 49-40 and nearly sealing the victory.

However, an unexpected miss on a bank shot provided Tasdemir with a chance. The Turkish player capitalised on this opportunity, launching a seven-point run to narrow the score to 47-49.

Lực then faced two scoreless turns, heightening the tension. But when given a fourth opportunity, he delivered a brilliant three-cushion shot, securing a dramatic 50-47 victory and his first World Cup title.

Earlier in the tournament, Lực defeated reigning the world's top-ranked player, Dick Jaspers of the Netherlands, in the semi-finals. Despite Jaspers' status as a dominant figure in billiards, he has often struggled against Lực.

After losing to Lực in the group stage of the Sharm El Sheikh World Cup 3-Cushion 2023 in Egypt, Jaspers was again eliminated by Lực in the semi-finals of the Bình Thuận World Championship 2024, where Lực earned his first world silver medal.

With this victory, Lực became the third Vietnamese billiards player to win this tournament, following Trần Quyết Chiến (three-time champion) and Trần Đức Minh (one-time champion).

His achievement has garnered significant attention from regional media. South Korean newspaper Maeil Kyungjae wrote: "Vietnamese billiards continues to assert its strength in Bogota by successfully defending its championship title, following Trần Quyết Chiến's victory last year."

The publication also noted the struggles of South Korean players in adapting to competition conditions, with their best result being a round of 16 finish (Kim Jun-tae and Kim Haeng-jik), similar to last year.

Meanwhile, Xports News highlighted Lực's top-class performance, stating that it has captivated billiards fans. The Billiards page praised the Vietnamese player, stating: "The storm of domination in Vietnamese billiards continues into 2025 with Lực's first World Cup title of the season."

Lực's championship victory at the 2025 Bogota World Cup also helped him break the 'second-place curse' in international tournaments. Previously, he had reached the finals of two international competitions, but lost to Cho Myung-woo of South Korea, losing 20-50 in the final of the 2023 Asian Championship and 23-50 in the final of the 2024 World Championship.

According to the latest UMB rankings, Lực has officially risen to No. 5 in the world, right behind his compatriot Chiến. VNS