앙카라의 녹색 테이블 위, 한국 당구의 새로운 역사가 쓰이다 > 뉴스

The person receiving the most attention in this tournament is definitely world number one Myung-woo Cho, nicknamed ‘Jo Hwa-baek’. He early on proved his overwhelming skills by achieving his fourth win in the World Cup, and is now continuing his great challenge to lift his fifth career trophy in Ankara. Cho Myung-woo showed incredible concentration in the group stage of the round of 32 of the finals, winning all three games and advancing directly to the round of 16, showing off his power worthy of being number one in the world. In particular, the stable management of the game that does not allow the opponent to catch up in each game clearly shows why he is currently at the top of the world billiards world.

The strong player base of Korean billiards was once again confirmed through this Ankara World Cup. In Group A of the round of 32 of the finals, Cho Myung-woo and Heo Jeong-han both succeeded in advancing to the round of 16, showing the spicy taste of Korean billiards. In particular, Heo Jeong-han showed off his potential by overcoming a large early score gap and achieving a thrilling comeback win against Hwang Bong-ju in the final match of the group stage. Although veteran players such as Kim Haeng-jik and Cha Myeong-jong struggled in the finals and swallowed their disappointment, the fighting spirit of the players who overcame fierce competition from the preliminaries and joined the finals was enough to prove that Korean billiards is a powerhouse that can never be ignored on the world stage.

Ankara has been a venue that has given Korean athletes numerous honors in the past, and attention is being paid to whether that relationship will continue in this competition as well. The memory of Heo Jeong-han lifting the trophy here last year serves as an important factor in instilling confidence in the entire Korean team. In addition, not only Myung-Woo Myung and Jeong-Han Heo, but also Kim Ha-Eun, the star of the women's 3-cushion, participated in this tournament, symbolically showing the growth of Korean billiards. This competition, hosted by the World Carom Federation, is broadcast live around the world through various platforms including SOOP, and billiards fans around the world are watching the game situation change in real time.

With the final round of 16 bracket completed, the ‘War of the Stars’ has now begun in earnest. Cho Myung-woo will compete with Glenn Hoffman to advance to the quarterfinals, and Heo Jeong-han will face off against Vietnam's emerging powerhouse Bao Opong Binh. With billiards legends such as Dick Jaspers, Frédéric Caudron, and Torbjörn Blomdahl, who are overwhelmingly powerful just by name, are still showing off their strength and aiming for the championship, the key point to watch in this tournament is what strategy the Korean players will use against them. Only those who can overcome the physical and psychological pressure and survive until the end will be able to take the throne of Ankara.