I’m in a daze. The first session involves three Taiwanese players and all three are down at the moment. It’s hard to decide which one to watch: Wu Chia-Ching is on TV against the lesser-known Bustamante, but Joven is playing like Django right now and giving Wu few opportunities at the table. 4-1 up, the Filipino is looking deadly.
On the side Table, Table 4, Wu Yu-Lun is in deep trouble. German Harald Stolka has gone 7-2 up and not letting up. Here at Table 2, compatriot Oliver Ortmann is breaking, he’s sunk two and played a safety. At 6-4, he could afford to do that. Kuo Po-Cheng is at the table, he’s managed to get out of the snooker, playing off the bottom cushion, but he’s left Ortmann with a shot. It’s not looking good here either.
Surprisingly, Ortmann missed, and back at the table, Kuo plays a safety. The cue ball is hiding behind the pink and orange, while at the far end of the table, the blue hides behind the green and brown. Ortmann goes for a long jump shot, the cue ball bounces once and actually connects with the blue but lacking control, the blue flies off the table.
Ball in hand, Kuo now works the table clinically. Three down, now the brown. The cue ball screws back for an off-center shot on the 9. He sinks that, and it’s 5-6. Kuo takes a toilet break, as does Ortmann, who look cool in his denim jacket. Obviously, the arena is still too cold for him.
Wu Yu-Lun is in dire straits; Stolka is now 8-2 up. Goran Mladenovich is down by a similar score against Alain Martel at Table 7. Looks like the Serbian’s sensational run will end today.
The Coliseum is quiet now, whic could only mean one thing. The Joven juggernaut must have slowed down, and indeed Wu Chia-Ching has pulled it back to 3-4. Loud cheers just erupted, drats! That could only mean 5-3 to Joven, and it is.
Kuo sinks two off the break but could only play a safety. Ortmann comes back with a safety of his own, and Kuo gives him a half chance. Ortmann goes for it and misses a cut to the centre pocket. Again, Kuo plays a safety, this one is a beaut. The cue ball is tucked right up to the red, the object yellow ball is at the far cushion, there are obstacles in between. Ortmann’s not happy. He finds a way out banking off the bottom cushion, and Kuo sets him another question. This safety joust will decide the rack.
Ortmann tries for the pot off the side cushion but misses narrowly, fortune smiles on him as Kuo does not have a shot. Another safety exchange ensues. This has gone on for a while. Kuo blinks first, scratching into the centre left pocket. Ortmann is up in a flash. He works fast, too fast.. and misses a straight pink to the bottom corner pocket, leaving it hanging at the lip. Kuo does not spurn the gift, and cleans out to tie the score.
My power’s run out, and it’s the same fate for Wu Yu-Lun and Goran Mladenovich. Both go down 10-2; I’ve said yesterday, Alain Martel is shooting good and he is going to be dangerous.
