Quyet Chien, Phuong Vinh advance to knockout stage of international billiards tournament

Top Vietnamese cueists such as Tran Quyet Chien, Bao Phuong Vinh, and Chiem Hong Thai demonstrated their elite level on the first day of the finals of the 2026 HTV International 3-Cushion Carom Billiards Championship, thus earning entry into the knockout stage after two straight wins.

Tran Quyet Chien continued to show the consistency of Vietnam's number one cueist.In his opening match on August 14, the cueist nicknamed "Tony Tran" easily defeated Vo Minh Sang with a score of 35-18.

In the decisive match for the ticket to advance,Quyet Chiencontinued to control the game and beat Nguyen Ngoc Tri 35-19. Without needing to produce huge runs, the veteran cueist maintained steady scoring and made good use of the opportunities he had.

Bao Phuong Vinh also had an impressive day of competition. The world champion successively defeated Nguyen Thanh Hoa 35-28 and young talent Dinh Trong Van 35-20. Two convincing wins helped Phuong Vinh secure his place in the knockout round early.

Chiem Hong Thaiwas not to be outdone.The cueist from Can Tho successively defeated Huynh Anh Tai 35-14 and Nguyen Hoan Tat 35-29. With consistent form, Hong Thai continued to show his maturity following impressive performances on the international stage in recent times.

Besides the three notable names above, many other Vietnamese cueists also advanced with two perfect wins, including Nguyen Van Duong, Nguyen Nhat Hoa, Dinh The Vinh, Nguyen Quoc Sy, Doan Minh Kiet, Nguyen Dinh Quoc, Nguyen Tuan Khanh, Tran Chi Thanh, and Huynh Phi Long.

Meanwhile, international guest Tolgahan Kiraz of Turkey caused regret as he had to exit early after two consecutive losses. Two young Korean talents, Kim Do Hyeon and Park Jeongu, also had to enter the losers' bracket to continue seeking opportunities.

According to the format, 64 players are divided into 16 groups and compete under adouble-eliminationsystem. The round of 32 will switch to a knockout format, with a target of 40 points; the semifinals and final will be played to 50 points.

With Quyet Chien,Phuong Vinh,and Hong Thai all starting off successfully, Vietnamese billiards has strong representatives in the race for the championship of this tournament.