Chiem Hong Thai, Vietnam's only player to reach the quarterfinals, delighted the home crowd with his victory over Dick Jaspers on the evening of 23/5. The 27-year-old started slowly, trailing 25-18 before the break. However, the turning point came in the 18th turn when he scored 13 consecutive points to take a 31-28 lead.
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Chiem Hong Thai (left) celebrates after defeating Dick Jaspers in the 3-cushion carom World Cup quarterfinals at Nguyen Du Arena, Ben Thanh ward, TP HCM on the evening of 23/5/2026. Photo: HBSF |
Chiem Hong Thai (left) celebrates after defeating Dick Jaspers in the 3-cushion carom World Cup quarterfinals at Nguyen Du Arena, Ben Thanh ward, TP HCM on the evening of 23/5/2026. Photo: HBSF
Despite being down by as many as 9 points at one stage, the Dutch player did not give up. In the 23rd turn, Jaspers made an 8-point run, narrowing the gap to 40-41. A few turns later, the former world number one took the lead, first 45-42, then 46-45. However, with just one missed shot from his opponent, Hong Thai reversed the situation, scoring 5 consecutive points to conclude the match with a 50-46 victory in 29 turns amidst the cheers of the audience.
"What a thrill", Hong Thai said after the win. "I must thank the audience for their support today; they helped me turn the tide in the second half. I hope even more spectators will come to cheer tomorrow".
This marks Hong Thai's third appearance in the 3-cushion carom World Cup semifinals, following Portugal in 2023 and Egypt in 2024. Hong Thai will face Belgian player Eddy Merckx, 57, in the first semifinal at 11:30 h on sunday, 24/5, at Nguyen Du Arena, Ben Thanh ward. The other semifinal will feature veterans Frederic Caudron, 58, and Marco Zanetti, 64. The final will take place at 17:30 h on the same day.
TP HCM is the second leg of this year's 3-cushion carom World Cup, following Bogota (Colombia). Hong Thai started from the qualifying rounds, where he lost to JJ Garcia 34-40 in his opening match but then defeated Turgay Orak 40-19. In the group stage, he beat Nguyen Van Tri 40-14, drew with Jaspers 40-40, and then defeated Kang Ja-in 40-26. In the round of 16, Hong Thai eliminated Bao Phuong Vinh 50-47, before defeating Jaspers again.
Born in 1999 in Can Tho, Hong Thai is the youngest player among Vietnam's top ranks. He is currently ranked 22nd in the world and fourth in Vietnam, behind Tran Thanh Luc, Tran Quyet Chien, and Phuong Vinh. In this tournament, Thanh Luc lost to Jaspers in the round of 16, while Quyet Chien was eliminated in the group stage.
Xuan Binh
