The ‘Billiard Emperor’ stood strong. ‘Billiards prodigy’ Cho Myung-woo (25-Seoul City Hall-Silk Road & T) tried to make a move, but the emperor was too strong.
Choi suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Tovejon Bromdahl (61-Sweden) in the final of the Ho Chi Minh City World 3-Cushion Billiards World Cup 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Monday (Aug. 28). He had to settle for runner-up honors in a 44-50 upset.
Bromdahl is a living legend with 45 career World Cup titles. He has also won the World Championships seven times. Choi Sung-won (Hewons) is the only South Korean to have won the World Championships, first taking the top spot in 2014.
Choi came out firing on all cylinders and challenged the emperor. After taking a 19-3 lead through the first five innings, Choi unleashed a devastating offense to take a 25-7 lead after 10 innings.
In the second half, however, the Emperor’s seasoning shone through. While Choi was held scoreless for four consecutive innings, Bromdahl scored 12 straight points to tie the game at 26-all after five innings. A shaken Choi looked shaky, missing a relatively easy comeback after Bromdahl’s 12-point run.
The game became a seesaw affair as Bromdahl pulled off a series of wickets while Choi missed a number of shots, and the score was tied at 30-all after the 30th. Bromdahl continued to build on his points and sealed the win with a 50-44 victory in the 33rd.안전놀이터
In December last year, Choi was looking to win his first title in five months after the World Cup in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, but finished as runner-up. After the match, Choi said through the Korean Billiards Federation, “It was a tournament where I learned a lot,” and added, “I will use this as a springboard and work hard once again to show my growth.”
Kim Jun-tae (Gyeongbuk Sports Federation) also made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, but his semifinal match with Bromdahl ended with a 31-50 loss in 30 overs. Joon-tae shared the podium with Choi Sung-woo, who finished in third place.