Tran Thanh Luc Advances to Semifinals of Three-Cushion World Cup

Tran Thanh Luc has advanced to the semifinals of the Three-Cushion World Cup after defeating Forthomme and Merckx. This marks his first appearance in the semifinals, making him the 11th Vietnamese player to achieve this milestone. Three other Vietnamese players were eliminated in the knockout rounds, including top player Tran Quyet Chien. The semifinals will feature Luc against world number one Dick Jaspers.

On Saturday, Tran Thanh Luc triumphed over Forthomme with a score of 50-31 in 36 innings during the round of 16 at the Three-Cushion World Cup. He continued his remarkable performance the following morning, defeating Merckx 50-25 in just 22 innings during the quarterfinals, marking his emergence as a prominent competitor in the sport. This achievement signifies Luc’s first-ever advancement to the World Cup semifinals, positioning him as the 11th Vietnamese 3-cushion carom player to reach this stage.

The tournament saw three other Vietnamese players eliminated in the knockout rounds. Chiem Hong Thai recorded a 50-29 victory against Sweden’s Torbjorn Blomdahl in the round of 16 but faced defeat in a close quarterfinal match with Turkey’s Tolgahan Kiraz, losing 49-50 in 38 innings. Additionally, Vietnam’s top player, Tran Quyet Chien, was defeated by world number one Dick Jaspers, scoring 40-50 in 31 innings, while former champion Tran Duc Minh exited in the round of 16 after a 26-50 loss to Turkey’s Berkay Karakurt in 19 innings.

The semifinals and finals are scheduled to take place on Sunday and Monday. Tran Thanh Luc will compete against Dick Jaspers in the first semifinal, set for 11 p.m. on Sunday, while the second semifinal will feature Kiraz up against fellow countryman Tayfun Tasdemir.

Born in 1990 in Binh Duong, Vietnam, Luc emerged from a family with no athletic background. He started playing billiards in 2011 after completing his military service and quickly made his way into the top tier of Vietnamese billiards players by 2013. However, after stepping away from competitions in 2015 to work at billiards clubs, Luc returned to the sport in 2018 and joined Ho Chi Minh City’s billiards team the following year, marking the official start of his professional career.

In 2024, he secured a silver medal at the Asian Championship, one of Asia’s foremost competitions. His most notable achievement to date includes finishing as the runner-up at the UMB World Three-Cushion Championship in 2023, held in Binh Thuan.

In summary, Tran Thanh Luc has made history by reaching the semifinals of the Three-Cushion World Cup, marking his first appearance at this level. Despite the elimination of his fellow competitors, Luc’s journey from amateur to professional is commendable, demonstrating his resilience and dedication to the sport. With upcoming semifinals against renowned players, Luc has the opportunity to further elevate his status in billiards.

Original Source: e.vnexpress.net