Bao Phương Vinh eliminates the world number one cueist, Trần Quyết Chiến stops at the Asian Championship

The knockout stage of the 3-cushion carom event at the 2026 Asian Billiards Championship on the morning of May 8 recorded a huge "upset" when Bao Phương Vinh engineered an incredible rally to beat the reigning champion and top-ranked player in the world, Cho Myung Woo from South Korea.

Against a heavily favored opponent, Bao Phương Vinh did not start well and was quickly overwhelmed by Cho Myung Woo.

The South Korean star consistently scored with high-quality runs to lead 28-11 after the first session. Moving into the second session, Cho maintained a safe margin, extending the score to 33-21, leading many to expect an easy victory for the defending champion.

However, at the toughest moment,Bao Phương Vinhexploded with great force. The 2023 world champion delivered precise shots to narrow the gap to 32-36. The climax came when the Vietnamese player executed a stunning 10-point run to level the match at 47-47, thrilling the home crowd.

At the decisive moment,Bao Phương Vinhremained composed and added a 3-point series to complete an unbelievable comeback, winning 50-47 after 30 innings. This result secured the Vietnamese representative a spot in the quarterfinals and ended Cho Myung Woo's reign as champion.

While Bao Phương Vinh caused a sensation, Vietnam's top billiards hope, Trần Quyết Chiến, unexpectedly exited in the Round of 16. Facing Kim Haeng Jik, a three-time World Cup winner from South Korea, Quyết Chiến played evenly in the early innings but gradually fell behind as his opponent accelerated with big runs.

Kim Haeng Jik made the difference with runs of 8 and 6 points, taking a 26-14 lead after the first session. In the second session, despite his efforts, Trần Quyết Chiến could not close the gap and suffered a heavy 28-50 defeat after 22 innings.

The early elimination of both Trần Quyết Chiến and Cho Myung Woo in the first knockout round was a major surprise of this year's tournament, as both were top contenders for the title.

Besides Bao Phương Vinh, Vietnamese billiards still has several representatives in the quarterfinals. Nguyễn Hoàn Tất defeated Kang Ja In with a score of 50-43, while Nguyễn Đình Quốc beat Lê Thành Tiến 50-46 in an internal derby. Nguyễn Văn Tài was also very close to victory but fell short against Son Jun Hyuk in a narrow 49-50 loss.

The 3-cushion carom event of the Asian Championship will conclude this afternoon (May 8).

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