On October 26, Vietnam was represented by two players—Tran Quyet Chien and Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu—who both reached the semifinals.
After defeating the world’s top cueist, Dick Jaspers from the Netherlands, in the quarterfinals, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu faced another billiards legend, Belgium's Frederic Caudron, in the semifinals that afternoon.
Facing the player known globally as “The Extraterrestrial,” Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu performed impressively, maintaining a lead throughout most of the game. However, his inexperience under high-stakes pressure became evident in the decisive moments, and his nerves ultimately could not match the resilience of the former world No.1 in both UMB and PBA rankings.
Thanh Tu started strong, scoring in 8 of his first 11 shots, each ranging from 2 to 5 points, securing a 21-12 lead.
With the game still going well at 42-36, Thanh Tu missed a high-percentage four-cushion shot, allowing Caudron to score a 4-point series, closing the gap to 40-42. Unfortunately, Thanh Tu’s nerves led to two more similar errors on otherwise straightforward shots. Caudron seized the opportunity, closing out the match with a 50-45 win, highlighted by a decisive 9-point series.
In the other semifinal, Tran Quyet Chien faced Belgium’s Peter Ceulemans in a match that started strongly in his favor. On his first turn, Vietnam’s top billiards player delivered an impressive 8-point series, and by the mid-game break, he had widened his lead to 27-10.
Despite Ceulemans' efforts to close the gap, he struggled against Tran Quyet Chien's steady, strategic play. Tran ultimately claimed victory with a 50-37 score, advancing him to the final against Frederic Caudron, scheduled for 9 p.m. on October 26.
The final, a highly anticipated clash between two former world No.1 players, was intense and thrilling. Tran Quyet Chien had a slow start, missing points in his first five turns while Frederic Caudron quickly took the lead with 7 points. However, Tran Quyet Chien soon found his rhythm, skillfully turning the tide and pulling ahead 11-7 by his eighth turn.
The game remained close, with both players alternating in the lead until Tran Quyet Chien gained a narrow advantage at 35-34. At that point, Caudron faltered, missing three consecutive turns, allowing Tran Quyet Chien to extend his lead to 41-34. Though Caudron briefly closed the gap to 38-44, he was unable to regain momentum and missed scoring in three more turns. Tran Quyet Chien seized the opportunity, ultimately winning with a final score of 50-38.
With this Veghel championship title, Tran Quyet Chien earned 16,000 euros (approximately VND400 million) and celebrated his fourth World Cup win, propelling him back to the No.2 position in the UMB world rankings.
