This victory marks his first entry into the semifinals of the 2024 World Three-Cushion Championship, ensuring him a medal.
On September 28, in Binh Thuan Province, the tournament featured the round of 16 matches, which included five Vietnamese players. Unfortunately, three players—Tran Quyet Chien, Tran Duc Minh, and Nguyen Van Tai—were eliminated in this round.
After a dramatic comeback against defending champion Bao Phuong Vinh, Jeremy Bury continued to challenge the chances of current runner-up Tran Quyet Chien. The French player executed an impressive series of 12 points to take the lead and ultimately won decisively with a score of 50-35.
Meanwhile, the journey of the lowest-ranked player among the 48 participants, Nguyen Van Tai, came to an end as he lost to Garcia from Colombia with a score of 28-50.
In a match between two Vietnamese players, Chiem Hong Thai narrowly defeated Tran Duc Minh with a score of 50-48, securing a spot in the quarterfinals against world number one Dick Jaspers.
Joining Chiem Hong Thai in the quarterfinals was Tran Thanh Luc, who impressively overcame veteran Marco Zanetti from Italy with a score of 50-31.
During the quarterfinals held last night, Chiem Hong Thai faced difficulties against Dick Jaspers. The young Vietnamese player managed a maximum series of only 5 points, while the Dutch player achieved series of 13 and 7 points. Unsurprisingly, Dick Jaspers concluded the match with a decisive score of 50-34, ending Chiem Hong Thai's hopes of reaching the semifinals for the second time.
With the elimination of both defending champion Bao Phuong Vinh and current world runner-up Tran Quyet Chien, the matchup between French player Jeremy Bury and Tran Thanh Luc has garnered significant attention from Vietnamese fans.
Facing Jeremy Bury, known for his disruptive playing style and psychological tactics, Tran Thanh Luc remained composed. Despite the French player scoring a series of 8 points to equalize at 47-47 in the final stages—including a distracting maneuver intended to unsettle the Vietnamese player—Tran Thanh Luc kept his cool. He executed an impressive series of 3 points in his final turn, ultimately winning the match with a score of 50-47.
Advancing to the semifinals on September 29, Tran Thanh Luc will face world number one Dick Jaspers. In the other semifinal match, rising star Cho Myung Woo from South Korea will compete against veteran Eddy Merckx from Belgium.
