'Again' World No. 1 Jo Myeong-woo defeated, Heo Jeong-han advances to the 2026 Portugal 3-Cushion World Cup semifinals

*This content was translated by AI.

Heo Jeong-han (49, Gyeongnam) defeated defending champion and world No. 1 Jo Myeong-woo (28, Seoul City Hall), advancing to the semifinals of the 2026 Portugal 3-Cushion World Cup.

On the 18th (Korean time), Heo Jeong-han defeated Jo Myeong-woo 50-30 in the quarterfinals after a span of 20 innings. Throughout this tournament, Heo has maintained an upward trend by recording averages in the low twos in every match, and today he posted an average of 2.500, showcasing overwhelming performance.

Heo had previously lost to Jo Myeong-woo 16-40 in the round of 32 group stage of the 'AngKARA 3-Cushion World Cup' held last month. However, on the 27th of last month at the 2026 Namwon National Billiards Championships held in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, Heo defeated Jo Myeong-woo 50-45 in the final of the men's carom 3-cushion division to claim the title. In this World Cup, he met Jo again in the semifinals, seized control from the early stages of the match, and did not relinquish it, advancing toward the finals.

Leading 21-4 with a high run of 10 points in the eighth inning, Heo added 6 points in the ninth and 8 points in the tenth, extending the lead to 36-8. He maintained his lead through consistent scoring thereafter, concluding the match after 20 innings. Jo Myeong-woo attempted a comeback with a high run of 10 points in the 20th inning but could not overcome the early deficit.

With this result, Heo Jeong-han reached his eighth career World Cup semifinal stage approximately one year and two months after finishing as runner-up at the Ho Chi Minh 3-Cushion World Cup last year. Having recently dropped to world No. 16 and losing his seeding for the round of 32 in the World Cup, Heo's advancement to this semifinal has increased his chances of regaining a seeded position.

Meanwhile, Kim Haeng-jik (Jeonnam-Jindo County Office), who also advanced to the quarterfinals, narrowly lost 45-50 to Turkey's Berkay Kara Kurt after a close match, failing to reach the semifinals.

Heo Jeong-han will face Vietnam's Thai Hong Chiem in the semifinal scheduled for 10 p.m. on the 18th, competing for a spot in the final. Thai Hong Chiem advanced to the semifinals after defeating Germany's Martin Horn 50-33 in the quarterfinals. In the other semifinal, Eddie Meks (Belgium) will face Berkay Kara Kurt (Turkey).

All matches of the 2026 Portugal 3-Cushion World Cup, including the semifinals and finals, will be broadcast live on SOOP. Viewers can also watch via cable channels SOOPTV, IB Sports, and Ball TV. Various content such as match schedules, replays, and highlights are available on the SOOP billiards page.

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*This content was translated by AI.