Vietnam Billiards Team Produces Inspired Performance

Vietnam Billiards Team Produces Inspired PerformanceThe Vietnam billiard team caused a massive shock by defeating second seeds Holland to complete the quarter-final line-up at the PartyPoker.com World Cup of Pool.The Vietnamese side, consisting of Thanh Nam Nguyen and Chi Dung Luong, had looked unimpressive in a narrow 9-8 first round victory against Croatia but appeared to be a completely different team with an inspired performance against Niels Feijen and Nick van den Berg, the European No.2 and No.3.Who do you think will win? Discuss World Cup of Pool here. Holland won the lag and should have had the rack wrapped up until they missed a shot at the brown seven to hand a 1-0 lead to Vietnam. Vietnam broke and ran through the balls in the next with Thanh Nam Nguyen unconvincingly wobbling the 9-ball in to gain a surprise 2-0 lead.
Holland immediately pulled one back and when Thanh Nam Nguyen left the green six hanging over the bottom left pocket the Dutch side looked like levelling the score at 2-2.However, van den Berg missed the 9-ball and Chi Dung Luong gratefully accepted the present to move two racks clear, 3-1 in front.Holland broke and ran through the next but Vietnam did likewise in the sixth to restore their two-rack advantage. But the Dutch showed why they were considered one of the tournament favourites as they again did not put a foot wrong to make the score 4-3.Vietnam got unlucky with their next break as there was no shot on so had to push out. Holland could only play safe but left a chance and Chi Dung Luong produced a fantastic shot for a 1-9 combination to take the eighth.Both of the Vietnam team reached the knockout stages of the 2005 World Pool Championships and they were certainly giving the Dutch side a run for their money. Holland themselves were not doing much wrong and were playing reasonably well as they ran out from the break again to once more reduce the deficit to one.However, with the alternate break format the game was Vietnam’s to lose but they finally showed some nerves when Chi Dung Luong missed the brown seven into the left centre pocket and that was the opportunity Holland were waiting for as they finally due level.Just when it looked like Holland would now take control, a foul by van den Berg in the next let in Vietnam who once again took the lead as they closed in on a shock victory. But Vietnam let the Dutch off the hook in the 12th as Chi Dung Luong missed an easy pot and Feijen did the rest for an enthralling 6-6 scoreline.That rack could have proved critical as Holland again won a rack where they had broke off and a mistake from Thanh Nam Nguyen in the next saw the Dutch move to the hill. The drama had not finished as Feijen left the red three hanging over the pocket from an attempted pot in the next and then Vietnam in contention.A missed long pot at the 1-ball by Thanh Nam Nguyen appeared to be Vietnam ’s last shot in the competition but a failed 2-3 combination by van den Berg took it to hill-hill.When van den Berg scratched in the last rack that was the final action from Holland in the World Cup as Vietnam held their nerve to move into the last eight where they will face in-form Italy. Visit Inside POOL Magazine for the latest news from the sport of billiards and pool. 1st Round 1(1) PHILIPPINES9MALTA0 2QATAR3MALAYSIA (16) 9 3CZECH REPUBLIC 9POLAND (9) 64THAILAND5CANADA (8) 9 5(5) TAIWAN 9INDIA6 6(12) JAPAN (W/O) 9INDONESIA0 7SPAIN9ENGLAND A (13) 8 8WALES2GERMANY (4) 99SINGAPORE6USA (3) 910ENGLAND B 9KOREA (14) 6 11HUNGARY3RUSSIA (11) 912HONG KONG 9SWEDEN (6) 8 13IRELAND5FINLAND (7) 914SOUTH AFRICA 2ITALY (10) 915VIETNAM9CROATIA (15) 816SCOTLAND5HOLLAND (2) 92nd Round 17PHILIPPINES (1) 9MALAYSIA (16) 518CZECH REPUBLIC 9CANADA (8) 819TAIWAN (5)9JAPAN (12) 420SPAIN5GERMANY (4) 921USA (3) 9ENGLAND B 322RUSSIA (11) 8HONG KONG 923FINLAND (7) 2ITALY (10) 924VIETNAM9HOLLAND (2) 8Quarter FinalsQF1PHILIPPINES (1) CZECH REPUBLIC QF2TAIWAN (5) GERMANY (4) QF3USA (3) HONG KONG QF4ITALY (10) VIETNAM Semi FinalsSF1 SF2 FinalFinal

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